South African aluminium industry's voice AFSA reports grand success of the 'International Aluminium Conference and Exhibition 2022'

The voice of and the gateway to the South African aluminium industry, the Aluminium Federation of South Africa (AFSA) hosted the 'International Aluminium Conference and Exhibition' on October 26-27, 2022, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa. The event focused on promoting the use of aluminium, with a focus on aluminium applications and uses, market analyses and technological advancements within the industry.

The conference was reserved for delegates, with the exhibition hall open to the public. Approximately 100 people were in attendance, including domestic and international attendees from various countries in Europe and East Asia. During the conference, speakers and delegates shared their opinions, views, and suggestions on topical issues.

Guala Closures South Africa CEO and AFSA Chairman Giuseppe Carosini commenced conference proceedings with welcoming remarks. Keynote speaker Ross Strachan, an Aluminium Analyst at CRU, spoke about various factors influencing the global aluminium market.

During both days, attendees had the opportunity to attend various sessions with varying discussion topics presented by the 25 speakers. The umbrella topics covered included:

• Aluminium fabrication
• Additive manufacturing
• Academic and scientific research and developments
• Decarbonisation
• Sustainability and recycling within the global aluminium industry
• Topics covering the South African Aluminium Industry Roadmap (SAAIR)

During each session, the audience was invited to participate in various polls in addition to Q&A sessions.

According to one of the delegates, "Learning curve and it is good to see that there are many research projects on aluminium locally and internationally. The way forward is for the industry to engage academia and science councils.”

Therefore, this event is essential for information sharing and boosting engagement as the industry converges to push for achieving the SAAIR deliverables.

As the Aluminium Federation of South Africa, we would like to thank the AFSA Members and IACE2022 partners Hulamin, South32, CSIR and Velocity Venture for their support. We would also like to thank our association and media partners, exhibitors, and speakers - including our Keynote Speaker, Ross Strachan, master of ceremonies Bridget Zuma- Rubambura, and all attendees for participating in the Premium Aluminium Event of 2022.

An attendee remarked, “It was the most organised conference and exhibition I have been to. The content was awe-inspiring, and the networking opportunities were great. I will be in attendance when it returns.”