While the machine tools industry experiences daily challenges – such as high energy supply costs, power interruptions, increasing raw material costs, as well as inadequate infrastructure – that threaten its sustainability, education is a bigger concern, says Machine Tools Merchants’ Association (MTMA) South Africa chairperson Joanne Canossa. “The metal processing industry is a critical sector in South Africa. It serves multiple industries in our economy and, according to the Metals and Engineering Indaba, the industry contributes around 28% towards the country's manufacturing gross domestic product,” stated Canossa at the Machine Tools Africa (MTA) 2024 launch on May 26.