The National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) has been part of the fabric of the South African automotive manufacturing landscape for over 40 years. In that time the sector has evolved from a highly protected, inward-focused production base that exclusively served domestic market needs into a great example of a South African manufacturing sector in step with global requirements, and a dominant, competitive producer of automotive products on the African continent, says NAACAM executive director Renai Moothilal. There is no doubt that the growth of the sector has been on the back of a supportive industrial policy implemented by the South African government, and today it is commonplace to see vehicles and components produced in our country leaving on ships destined for major markets across the globe. That policy has been through various iterations, with the most recent one being policies linked to a South African Automotive Masterplan 2035, he says.