Furniture Sector - FP&M SETA

1 0 A profile of the Furniture sub- Sector 2014 A profile of the Furniture sub- Sector December 2014 Furniture Sector 1 A profile of the Furniture sub- Sector 2014 CONTENT 1. Executive Summary .. 2 2. Overview .. 2 3. Key features .. 3 Trends .. 3 Challenges .. 4 Drivers for Change .. 4 Standard industrial classification code .. 5 Trade unions active in the Sector .. 5 Professional associations .. 5 4. Learner Profile .. 6 Furniture 7 Bibliography .. 8 2 A profile of the Furniture sub- Sector 2014 1. Executive Summary This Sector profile provides a brief overview of the Furniture manufacturing industry.

2 It covers the key trends and challenges, the drivers of change and the key role players in the Sector . A profile of FP&M SETA learners in the Furniture manufacturing Sector is provided. 2. Overview For the last 10 years the global trade of Furniture has grown significantly faster than the production of Furniture . It has only amounted to 1% of the world trade of manufacturers. The Current trends in the South African Furniture Sector include major retailors providing e-commerce services such as online buying as well as increased consumer confidence and increased value sales. (WESGRO, 2014).

3 The Furniture manufacturing industry currently employs approximately 29 000 people, with 2 200 registered establishments involved in the manufacturing of Furniture , bedding and upholstery. The Furniture industry is labour-intensive and contributes to manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP) and to manufacturing employment, giving it the potential to play an important role in economic development and job creation (DTI, 2013). Furniture is one of the most labour-intensive industries and can therefore also serve as a mechanism for the development of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), particularly as products can be manufactured in rural areas with minimum capital requirements (DTI, 2008).

4 This is supported by the actual sales value of the Furniture manufacturing Sector , which amounted to R5 328 576 million in June 2014 alone. (StatsSA, 2014) In a draft strategy for the development of the Furniture industry the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported that the global Furniture industry has grown by an average of 13% between 2002 and 2006, with exports from the top 10 producing countries accounting for over 66% of global exports. South Africa s exports of Furniture was worth in 2013 and grew by from 2012. The global players have positioned themselves between manufacturing low cost/low quality and high cost/high quality products, which is a model to which the South African market is adapting in order to expand the Sector .

5 The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) reported that in 2013 the Furniture manufacturing Sector recorded the highest production utilisation capacity ( ) and the largest increase on an annual basis ( percentage points) across all manufacturing sub-sectors (IDC, 2014). In order to present accurate information in relation to the Furniture manufacturing industry it is important to understand what elements make up the composition of the industry. To this end, South Africa makes use of the international Harmonised System Code (HSC) that defines the Furniture manufacturing industry (DTI, 2008).

6 Although the HSC includes additional elements in its definition of the Furniture manufacturing industry, the codes used by South Africa have excluded some of these elements (Table 1). Table 1: Harmonised System Codes for Furniture , South Africa HSC Description 9402 Medical, surgical, dental or veterinary Furniture 9403 Office Furniture and parts thereof (wooden, plastic, metal Furniture used for office, bedroom and kitchen) 9404 Mattress support, articles of bedding and similar furnishings Furniture manufacturing operations are largely located in the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces (Figure 1) (DTI, 2005).

7 3 A profile of the Furniture sub- Sector 2014 Figure 1: location of Furniture manufacturing operations in South Africa 3. Key features Trends Growth in the local demand for household products has diminished as disposable income is under pressure from higher electricity, transport and food prices (Maswanganyi, 2014). These economic circumstances have resulted in heavy reliance on demand for manufacturing products from outside the country, and the Furniture manufacturing industry is no exception. However, should South Africa s Furniture manufacturing Sector not be able to provide quality products at the right pricing levels it is likely that sales from this Sector could decrease significantly.

8 The increasing costs of commercial transport and electricity make it difficult for manufacturers to retain a competitive advantage, in both local and international markets. The largest company in the Furniture retail Sector has initiated the implementation of a new business model from manufacturing with no pricing power, to being a vertically integrated Furniture business offering manufacturing, sourcing, logistics and retail across Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Asia Pacific, with pricing power (Shevel, 2014). This new model will enable the maximisation of profit margins in a similar fashion to Ikea, while at the same time improving return on equity.

9 In addition, this combination of manufacturing and retail services may very well change the manner in which the Furniture manufacturing industry is shaped in years to come. The IDC has increased its funding levels in all four of its targeted high-growth manufacturing sectors, including the Furniture manufacturing industry. In an attempt to revitalise this manufacturing sub- Sector , the IDC provided an independent manufacturer with expansion capital, while approving funding for a "proof of concept" to manufacture bamboo laminated boards - a project with high potential for import replacement by means of localisation (IDC, 2014).

10 This trend demonstrates government s commitment to strengthening the development of the Furniture manufacturing industry, and promotes awareness of the benefits of investing in this Sector . The use of technology as a means of improving the efficiency of the manufacturing Sector is gaining increasing acknowledgement as a critical success factor for industry operations. This is particularly relevant to South Africa s developing economy which is faced by a myriad of limitations, including labour unrest and lack of investment in capital machinery and equipment. Research has demonstrated that the implementation 4 A profile of the Furniture sub- Sector 2014 of various levels of technology improves speed, variety, flexibility, productivity, quality and innovation.