South Africa is the largest exporter of the printing products / services to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa
Source：BIZcommunity
From：Taiwan Trade Center, Johannesburg
Update Time：2019/01/08
By contrast, South African suppliers completely dominate the Southern African region, with almost total supply into other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries and very strong market shares in those non-SACU countries that are contiguous to South Africa (Zimbabwe and Mozambique) or are heavily integrated into South Africa’s supply chain and logistics networks (Zambia, southern DR-Congo, Malawi and others)
South Africa's printing sector plays a valuable role in the local economy, providing approximately 54,000 formal jobs and generating annual revenue of around R51bn towards the GDP.
The majority of local printing companies are SMMEs employing fewer than 100 people but the sector is dominated by large companies, such as: Caxton & CTP Publishers and Printers Limited and Novus Holdings Limited, formerly Media24, are market leaders in the printing and finishing of magazines, books, catalogues and other commercial printing while Nampak, Mpact and AstraPak Limited dominate the print packaging market.
Small printing companies in South Africa include companies such as: jetline, postnet, print on demand, and etc.
Steve Thobela, CEO of PrintingSA, believes that print informs, educates and entertains. Without packaging, labelling and advertising, it would be impossible to tell different brands and products apart. It is these – and consumers’ responses to them – that gives brands the value that they covert and supports the extensive advertising and marketing sector.
Digitalisation may have commoditised print in South Africa, which can lead to price wars, but it has also expanded the capabilities of equipment so that printers can offer their customers a much broader range of products and services. Being able to do so makes them more relevant to customers who want a one-stop shop for more of their marketing and other print-related needs.
Print sales are being forced to change as the opportunity to engage customers has shrunk. In the past you may have had 30 seconds to snare someone’s attention but today you have 10 seconds. It’s a general attribution of the trend to get everything quicker, for less, with immediate delivery and with more options. It has given rise to a host of innovations that more printers are offering their customers today, such as Web-to- print and just-in- time print, smaller orders and runs, exposed supply chains, and printers that gather customer data so it’s easier for them to conduct business with you, and solutions to maximise device busy times.
Another emerging trend is that innovative software solutions have given printers the opportunity to harness the power of the Internet of Things (IoT). Print shops benefit from optimised equipment and more by providing anonymous usage data to the vendor.
Printing service market in South Africa
According to jetline there is a market within the print industry in South Africa because Advertising campaigns that contain both digital marketing and print marketing receive a 25% higher response rate than campaigns that only use digital marketing in their advertising efforts. Print just has certain qualities that the World Wide Web cannot provide. Below we look at 5 advantages of print marketing.
The advantages of printing in South Africa
Print is taken more seriously
Being interviewed for a popular online magazine is awesome, but it’s definitely a bigger deal for that interview to be showcased in the printed version of the magazine. Print is tangible and offers a sense of “realness” that the web just can’t provide. Online articles get lost online, however, the printed article can be preserved, tangible, and probably framed in the study for all to see.
Influencers are influenced by print
It has been proven that influencers, the individuals who have the power to influence consumers, are themselves, influenced by print marketing. 61% of influencers are influenced by print magazines, specifically fashion, lifestyle, and business magazines. 53% are influenced by printed newspapers. Beauty and fashion magazines now attract 50% more young readers than in 2001.
Print readers concentrate on the content
When you are online, you are distracted by a variety of digital information. From social media updates and emails to funny memes and blog posts, the distractions (and open tabs) are seemingly endless. But when it comes to print marketing, readers are focused and stay focused. They don’t have any notifications or sponsored ads to steal their attention.
It has been proven that 85% of the time a person is reading a print magazine, they are not multitasking. When it comes to print marketing, your audience consumes your campaigns key message, and most importantly, retains your brand message.
Unplugging is all the rage these days
Our world is digital and this can be exceptionally draining. Consistently staring at a computer screen and typing on a smart phone can become tiring quickly. This is why many people are choosing to unplug, even if it’s just for an hour a day, and it is print that keeps them company during this time. There is nothing quite like a cup of coffee and a magazine to wind down after a long day.
Printing gets you a step ahead of your competitors
All your competitors are marketing themselves online. So how do you stand out in such an over-saturated space? You go old school, you get innovative, you go print. Combining digital marketing and traditional marketing is a sure-fire way to excite the consumer. Marketers today are desperately in need of something ahead of the curve and print marketing is it! From personalised direct mail campaigns to brochures and booklets, you are sure to engage your target market – even directing them to your online platforms through this medium!
Sources:
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/73/165676.html
http://blog.ricoh.co.za/south-african-commercial-industrial-print-trends-2018/
https://printingsa.org/marketing-the-industry/
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-printing-industry-in-south-africa-2015-300558645.html
https://www.africaprint.com/articles/printing-industry-in-sub-saharan-africa-changes-and-continuity
http://www.businessessentials.co.za/2017/12/11/digital-printing/
https://kemtek.co.za/news/advantages-digital-printing-press-no-longer-question/
https://jetline.co.za/5-benefits-of-print-marketing-printing-company-news/