Africa Kaizen Conference: Focus on productivity and innovation

Productivity and continuous improvement are essential to strengthening Africa’s industrial competitiveness and promoting sustainable economic growth. These priorities are at the heart of the Africa Kaizen Annual Conference 2026, which officially opened, this morning, at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel in Balaclava.

The two-day Conference is being held under the theme ‘Sustainable Kaizen for a Competitive and Prosperous Africa’.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, SME and Cooperatives (Industry Division), Mr Bhaye Mohamud Dilzad Kurreemun; the Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius, Mr Kan Masahiro; and other personalities.

In his address, Mr Kurreemun highlighted the role of Kaizen, a Japanese approach centred on continuous improvement through small, practical changes to boost productivity, improve quality and reduce waste. He explained that adopting these practices could enable African economies to optimise resource use and translate their economic potential into sustainable prosperity.

Turning to the Mauritian context, he stressed that improving productivity is particularly important given the country’s limited workforce and natural resources. He conveyed the commitment of the Minister of Industry, SME and Cooperatives, Mr Sayed Muhammad Aadil Ameer Meea, to placing productivity at the heart of the manufacturing reset and the forthcoming industrial strategy. He explained that this would require greater adoption of automation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, alongside investment in modern equipment, technical skills and innovation.

The Permanent Secretary further highlighted the importance of helping Small and Medium Enterprises improve their processes, meet quality standards and access local and export markets. Continuous improvement should also be applied in public administration to deliver more efficient services to businesses, he added.

He expressed appreciation to the Government of Japan and development partners for their continued support for Kaizen and productivity development across Africa, and voiced hope that the Conference would generate practical solutions that participants could apply in their respective workplaces.

26 October 2026

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Topics: Cooperatives