Packaging

Introduction

The packaging industry in the Eastern Cape Province is relatively small but is highly diversified due to the diversity of industries present within the province. Product packaging forms a significant part of most industries as it is part and parcel of almost all manufacturing end lines and logistics and transport services.  

The majority of companies in the industry procure packaging materials from outside the province and offer this to manufactures or specialised packaging suppliers. There is also growth in plastics manufacturing in the province which offers potential export growth for packaging products.  

Industry sectors which make use of packaging services and products include: 

·         General manufacturing 

·         Automotive components 

·         Agriculture 

·         Chemical 

·         Textiles 

Packaging materials range from plastics, boxes, wood and specialised metals; and can be used for the following purposes: 

·         General packaging  

·         Food packaging  

·         Cleaning and chemicals packaging  

·         Plastic crates, bins and drums  

·         Storage equipment  

·         Plastic pallets  

·         Specialised packaging products  

Transportation 

The bulk of all packaging materials are transported by road from Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal with a few exceptions where rail is used. For locally (within the province) sourced packaging, road is the main transport mode. There’s currently no collective data available to indicate volumes of packaging material used, moved or exported as well as the modal split for road and rail.