Milkor is ready to partner with others in the industry as well as government to secure South Africa’s current and future defence and security needs.
This is according to Milkor’s Marketing and Communications Director, Daniel du Plessis, who spoke to defenceWeb ahead of the company’s participation in the Public-Private Partnerships for Defence & Security conference, scheduled for 7 March 2025 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria.
“I think that over the last 10 or 20 years we’ve seen a dramatic shift in the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) capabilities moving away from a state-owned entity towards the private sector. And I think a lot of the perceptions around the defence industry in South Africa is that we have lost a lot of skills,” du Plessis said.
He believes a conference like the PPP event is a good place to address some of those concerns and showcase the products being developed by privately owned South African defence industry companies as well as explore the options to revive some of the strategic capabilities that were once residing in South Africa.
“Utilising the strength and the skills that are still residing in the private industries along with the mandates which the public enterprises have, could be a very good combination and I think that those types of partnerships should be explored and it’s why we feel strongly about public-private partnerships, hence we sponsored this event as well.”
As the Platinum Sponsor of the 2025 conference, a central aspect of Milkor’s message to be delivered at the event is the company’s openness to engage and collaborate with the public sector in order to provide full defence solutions for South Africa, and Africa as a whole.
“We value a public-private partnership, we have seen some good examples in the commercial side apart from the defence industry that has yielded quite a valuable result for the country. So, as a company that is quite strong in innovation and has a very strong underlying capability when it comes to developing the manufacturing, we are very open to these kinds of discussions and would welcome any state-owned entity or organisation – not just in South Africa but around the continent,” du Plessis said.
He also emphasised Milkor’s commitment to South Africa and the continued importance of the South African market for the company. Although approximately 90% of Milkor’s products are exported globally, with Africa being a particularly important market, “the South African National Defence Force, the Border Management Authority, the South African Police Service, and the various other entities responsible for defence and security within the South African government will first and foremost always be our primary client.”
Du Plessis said that as a South African company, it is vital that Milkor does its utmost best to ensure that they have the equipment and capabilities and systems available to ensure sovereignty and stability in the country.
He added that “the export market is essential for survival, but I think the South African market as a whole is still our primary focus and still something that we would like to engage more in. Hopefully these kinds of conferences and conversations would help simulate some possible opportunities and collaborative efforts in developing sovereign capability within the country.”
Growth and innovation
While Milkor can trace its roots back to the early 1980s, since 1994, and especially since 2017, the company has significantly expanded it product offerings, both domestically and internationally. While Milkor remains headquartered in Centurion, South Africa, the company now has offices located in Warsaw, Poland; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Abu Dhabi, UAE. Today Milkor offers a range of product solutions across the land, sea, air, and cyber sectors.
“Milkor is a company that specifically focuses on delivering a complete solution. Although we might be perceived as a platform supplier, meaning that we either provide the vehicles, the naval vessels, or the unmanned aerial vehicles, as a whole we typically focus on strategic partnerships, for reliable sensor and accessory integration, which we do ourselves.”
“I think our global footprint and our marketing efforts also showcase that from the South African perspective at least, that we are rapidly growing company. We have a well-established global footprint with more than 56 countries already listed as clients of ours and more than 62 000 different systems sold over the last 40 years,” du Plessis said.
Milkor is set to display a range of its callabilities at the Public-Private Partnerships for Defence & Security Conference, including the newly launched Frontier light tactical vehicle specifically developed for border surveillance and tactical operations.
“It’s applicable to police, border management authority, SANDF, special forces, Marine Corps,” du Plessis told defenceWeb. “It has a very high customisability. It’s a modular design so there’s actually quite a few applications and it comes in a 4×4 and 6×6 variant. It is based off of a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 series, so it is easy to maintain, easy to get spare parts for.”
Milkor will also be displaying a scale model of the Milkor 380, “which is the largest unmanned aerial vehicle ever to be developed manufactured tested and flown on the African continent.”
With a meticulously curated programme, high-calibre speakers, and unparalleled networking opportunities, the Public-Private Partnerships for Defence & Security Conference 2025 provides an invaluable opportunity to learn about the latest developments, challenges, and opportunities in public-private partnerships for defence and security in South Africa, as well as to network with key stakeholders in the sector.
Register now to secure your place and be part of the conversation shaping the future of defence partnerships.
For more information and to book your seat, visit https://events.defenceweb.co.za/ppp2025
