About the NFTN
The National Foundry Technology Network (NFTN) exists to support the South African foundry industry become more competitive and sustainable.
As an initiative of the South African national government, through the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) the NFTN has the following mandate:
"The National Foundry Technology Network (NFTN) advances the competitiveness of the South African foundry industry, especially distressed foundries, through technical interventions, skills development and regulatory compliance support"
They achieve this by addressing four strategic focus areas:
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings – where metal shapes are formed by pouring molten metal into a mould cavity, where it solidifies as it is cooled and later extracted. There are approximately 130 foundries across South Africa, most of whom undertake high or low pressure casting, sand casting or gravity casting.
Many of these foundries are working in aging facilities and facing multiple challenges, including cheap imports, rising energy costs and a shortage of foundry skills.
It is the mission of the NFTN to support this vital sector to be sustainable and competitive, thereby preserving jobs, creating economic opportunities and increasing local content in the South African manufacturing supply chain.
For more information and updates on COVID-19 visit the official South African Resource and News portal: www.sacoronavirus.co.za
The National Foundry Technology Network is an initiative of the dtic managed by the CSIR.
