Page 25 - Landscape SA 97

MACHINERY FEATURE

STATE OF THE

MACHINERY INDUSTRY

As with all business and industry sectors, machinery and
equipment companies were affected by the Covid-19
lockdown. Landscape SA posed a few questions to OPPASA
and its members.

PPASA (the Outdoor Power Product Tandem: Before the lockdown, we were our government and semi-government
Association of South Africa) is affected by the late rains but after January sales were negatively affected as they
Oa member of the South African we saw record stock being ordered. were either closed or had to re-align their
Green Industries Council and at the start January and February were outstanding budgets to more health and safety related
of the lockdown, submitted a document trading months and March was not too operations and products.
to the Minister of Public Works requesting bad, but then Covid arrived.
that its services be grouped under a new Tandem: Business in our industry is very
category. They motivated this to the Deltool: The constant in this industry is seasonal and the only good thing about
minister on the basis that they were key that each year is going to be different to the lockdown was that it occurred in April,
to the critical services rendered by the the previous one. This has made dealers after most of the gardening season had
agricultural, forestry and green industry resilient and easily adaptable to change. slowed down anyway. If Covid had hit
sectors. in November or December, the casualty
Q: How did lockdown affect the industry rate would have been far higher. We were
Q: In terms of business activity, what in terms of sales, manufacturing and able to earn at least some income as our
was the status of the machinery and maintenance? industry was awarded essential services
equipment sector before the lockdown? status.
Lumber & Lawn: In the case of the lawn and
Lumber & Lawn: Covid-19 has not affected garden industry, there was a boost in sales Deltool: Being part of an industry
our sales as negatively as the drought to private home owners. Manufacturers association, we could network with other
did in the Western Cape about two years were closed but they opened up to send dealers and it was surprising that COVID
ago. We service a large component of the us stock to meet the demand; their price did not negatively impact our business.
agricultural market and had to register increases were high though. Household The losses in sales and services in some
as an essential supplier to service the sales have soared and there were back market segments were replaced by the
industry responsible for food production orders from many suppliers. However, need for products and services from clients
in the country.

Landscape SA • Issue 97 2020 23