The global composite manufacturer BGF International has launched its state-of-the-art showroom in Tanzania, being its second home in African continent after South Africa.

The official launching ceremony was held on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam and attended by the minister, President Office, Planning and Investment Prof Kitila Mkumbo, representing the minister of Industry and Trade Dr Suleiman Jafo.

BFG International is a global leader in the composites industry, with extensive capabilities across various sectors, including industrial, construction, architecture, and transportation sectors (trains, boats, buses and automotive).

Speaking during the event, Prof Mkumbo said the company entrance into Tanzanian market will complement the country’s industrialization agenda, as well as consolidating the historical economic and social relationship between Tanzania and South Africa.

Prof Mkumbo said, when the country started economic liberalization way back in 1990s, South Africa was the leading and largest source foreign investments to Tanzania, but was later overtaken by other countries.

The company brings world-leading cross-functional knowledge and expertise in design methodology, materials composition and manufacturing processes.

He said the opening of BGF Africa office in Tanzania is considered as the revival of long term investments relationship between Tanzania and South Africa, as apart from supplementing industrialization agenda, it has created job opportunities among Tanzanians.

BFG Africa is majority black-owned, with 51 percent acquired in June 2018 by the South African company, Mergence Group.

The facility showcases BFG Africa’s innovative, leading-edge capabilities in the fast-growing global composites and sheet moulding materials and compounds manufacturing market. 

BFG Africa is also able to leverage the group’s world-class precision sheet metal and plate engineering capabilities and has access to the most advanced process-oriented operations in the Southern Hemisphere at the BFG plant in South Africa.

With this landmark investment, BFG Africa hopes to strengthen Tanzania’s position as key regional hub for industrial growth and manufacturing excellence. 

The company aims to significantly reduce the East African market’s reliance on imports, while creating a diverse range of job opportunities across the Tanzanian labour market.

“As BFG, we want to be active participants in new Africa and open up those opportunities to de-insurgency of the challenges, in my opinion, that we're encountering,” said Dr Samer Aljishi, President, BGF international. 

He said BFG International specializes in materials that deserve solutions to the demand and problem statements that facing the continent.

“In South Africa, just like we are in Nicaragua, we set up a world-class manufacturing facility. This is in 2019, which is regarded as one of the most iconic phylogenetic factories in the world today. We've put people in a path by acquiring and developing a metal business which complements our phylogenetic business,” he said.

“And in total, the square meter of the facility is over 30,000 square feet, employing more than 500 workers. When we started up the phylogenetic facility, we took 15 African employees to Bahrain for a learnership program. Today, our factories have scientists, doctors, mathematicians, chemical engineers, mechanical engineers, and it's a proud moment as Africans to see our people grow.”

He added: “We, as Africans, both black and white, got together and delivered and successfully manufactured 248 trains. And we are yet to build another 1,000 trains for South Africa. Each train carries approximately 1,100 people. We multiply that by 240,000, almost 300,000 or 400,000. That tells me we are taking an engine of the economy to work for that and save that”.

Bongani Khoza, managing director BGF Africa stated: “We categorize our products with GPT-3 categories. If you look at the transportation space, we do add a lot of weights, mainly in the range that some of you can see the screen, to keep an eye out for different types of freight. We have to understand why and who we need to meet, what changes need to be made”.