South Africa to Host Africa Kaizen Annual Conference in Boksburg

South Africa is set to host the prestigious Africa Kaizen Annual Conference (AKAC) from 27–28 October 2025 at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Gauteng. The event will be held under the theme “African Industrialisation through Fostering Competitive Firms and Value Chains on the Continent.”

Kaizen, a Japanese concept meaning “continuous improvement,” is a hands-on, human-centred, and process-oriented approach that focuses on enhancing productivity and quality in manufacturing and related industries. Through participatory, learning-by-doing practices, Kaizen promotes efficiency, teamwork, and innovation—principles that lie at the heart of Africa’s industrialisation agenda.

According to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau, South Africa’s commitment to Kaizen dates back to 2011, when the government signed a Joint Technical Cooperation Agreement with Japan. This collaboration deepened in 2021, with the signing of a Record of Discussion between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) to jointly implement the Quality and Productivity Improvement (QPI) project over five years.

“The Kaizen approach not only enhances competitiveness but also drives transformation,” said Minister Tau. “One of its key objectives is to strengthen the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in the automotive sector, in line with the Automotive Masterplan. The goal is to increase the contribution of black-owned suppliers to 25% of tier 2 and tier 3 automotive gross value-added by 2035.”

The AKAC provides a platform for policymakers, academics, and industry practitioners to share best practices, success stories, and innovations in productivity and quality management across Africa’s industrial sectors. The conference was first launched in 2017 by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and JICA under the Africa Kaizen Initiative (AKI) framework.

This year’s edition will bring together leaders from Kaizen Institutions and National Productivity Organisations under the National Quality and Productivity Network (NQPN). The network includes the dtic, AIDC Eastern Cape, AIDC Gauteng, ASCCI, Plastics SA, PtSA, Productivity SA, JICA, and the Automotive Industry Transformation Fund (AITF).

Minister Tau highlighted that the growing collaboration with QPI/Kaizen-promoting organisations in over ten African countries has created a continental movement for productivity improvement. This year’s conference will further cement that progress with the Africa Kaizen and Productivity Awards, honouring organisations and individuals demonstrating outstanding excellence, innovation, and competitiveness in productivity enhancement.

Following the AKAC, Productivity South Africa will host the Africa Kaizen and South African National Productivity Awards, celebrating national and continental champions in productivity and Kaizen implementation.

Notably, the QPI project has already delivered tangible results. Between 2023 and 2025, a four-month Basic Kaizen training programme improved key performance indicators for 66 participating companies by an average of 53.5%. Furthermore, Digital Kaizen training has accelerated digital data collection and boosted the competitiveness of South African SMMEs.

Kaizen continues to prove itself as a transformative tool for Africa’s industrial future—raising productivity standards, promoting localisation, and driving inclusive economic growth. By fostering continuous improvement and shared learning, initiatives like AKAC contribute meaningfully toward the realisation of Africa’s Agenda 2063, building a continent defined by innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable prosperity.