September’s Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition will see “more than 20 countries” showing aerospace and defence related products and services at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof in Centurion.
This was part of the message delivered to a Military Attaché and Advisory Corps (MAAC) briefing ahead of the 18 to 22 September exhibition by Segomotso Tire, AAD executive committee chair.
She told the briefing at the AFB Waterkloof officer’s mess that 87% of invited delegates have, to date, confirmed they will attend. Those on the invitation list included defence ministers and deputies, defence secretaries, defence force chiefs as well as service chiefs of air forces, armies, navies and surgeon generals. Tire also listed two dozen countries as having confirmed attendance.
They are (in no particular order) Kenya, Botswana, Senegal, Morocco, South Korea, China, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkiye, Singapore, Armenia, India, Pakistan, Suomi (Finland), Germany, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Italy, Albania, Russia, Belgium, United States (US), Canada and Brazil.
This level of foreign representation, according to her, “underscores the importance of government to government collaboration”.
Kholisile Khumalo, who chairs the AAD Youth Development Programme (YDP), told the briefing foreign missions in South Africa contributed positively to local youth development as a contribution to the national economy.
“In the midst of high unemployment rate in South Africa, embassies are giving hope to our youth by creating training and mentorship opportunities in their home countries, especially in fields such as engineering. Not only do they train them, but they hold their hands while they are finding their feet in these critical fields,” he said.
Two years ago AAD hosted more than nine thousand school pupils with a target of twelve thousand plus set for this year but assistance is needed to meet this number.
The YDP was two weeks ago, according to exhibition organisers, facing a shortfall of R3 million to finalise its wish list for AAD 2024. It needed five thousand scientific calculators and a similar number of “Oxford mathematics sets” to stimulate young minds. To spread the aviation/defence career possibilities as widely as possible, YDP organisers envisage bringing 70 young men and women from the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape provinces along with 40 from the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces to the SA Air Force (SAAF) base.
Part of the R3 million shortfall is to provide healthy meals for those visiting AAD as part of the YDP. Outstanding is funding for 1 500 meals at R107 each.
Donations to the YDP will, according to Khumalo, nurture future talent for the South African aviation and defence industries and contribute to the personal growth of those attending.
More on contributions and how they can be made is available from [email protected] or 079 496 1652.
