On January 12, as International Business Development Director of the Nuclear Industry Association of Turkey (NIATR), a meeting was organized with the Managing Director of the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA), Mr. Knox Msebenzi.
The target was to create a bridge between the leading country in Africa and the most powerful industrial country in the Middle-East. This bridge aimed to facilitate investments between the members of NIATR in South African projects, but also to increase the interest of foreign technology providers and manufacturers for these two markets that have a large nuclear program.
If y a company is often reluctant to transfer its expertise for one nuclear program, it could be more interested if we can bundle several markets.
What we learned from this meeting in Johannesburg was the industrial strategy of the government to support the localization of safety level 1 &2 equipment for the export market.
If Turkey and other countries in the middle east are more focused in the manufacturing of non-safety equipment or safety level 3, South Africa wants to become an industrial export base for high-end nuclear products.
As for the domestic program, the NIASA was clear: despite public turmoil and bad public relations, the program will be executed because South Africa needs to produce more clean energy, to export more electricity and to become a major nuclear equipment manufacturer. As for the timing…