PRETORIA – The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) South Africa has completed a year-long Digital Kaizen Training under the Quality and Productivity Improvement (QPI) Project, implemented in partnership with South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic).
The training aimed to modernise traditional Kaizen methods, moving beyond shop floor appearance to address production challenges through digital solutions. Over three sessions in the past 12 months, participants engaged in classroom lectures on industrial engineering for Kaizen and IT aspects related to programming, installation, and maintenance of digital equipment. On-site factory training allowed them to apply these skills in real-world production environments.
Using affordable sensors sourced locally, participants examined production lines for defects and irregularities, collected data, and implemented Kaizen improvements.
The training was conducted in collaboration with the Automotive Industry Development Centre Gauteng (AIDC-GP), its Eastern Cape counterpart (AIDC-EC), Productivity South Africa, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and participating companies Finke Plastics, Sir Fruit, Chemsol, and Safeline Brakes.
On 1 August 2025, participants gathered in Pretoria to present their final projects and receive certificates. Eight digital Kaizen consultants were trained, while four companies piloted digital Kaizen projects. JICA Expert Mr KOGURE Yoichi congratulated the participants on their achievements.
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