The Change 1 Woman (C1W) networking event, held on 28 May at the Durban ICC, had a great turnout and allowed attendees to make valuable connections. The event was sponsored by: Kolok Graphic Supplies, NUtec Digital Ink, DTF Printing Africa, Avery Dennison, Graphix Supply World and Durban ICC.  C1W is an initiative dedicated to empowering women through connection, conversation and support. It aims to bring women together in the print, signage and branding industries, building a community where ideas, experiences and support can be freely shared and put in [...]

Tertius van Eeden, CEO of Print on Demand, discusses why South African SMEs are shifting from print suppliers to print partners. South African SMEs continue to operate under immense pressure. Rising operating costs, cash flow constraints, infrastructure instability, slower economic growth and reduced consumer spending have forced businesses to rethink how they spend, store and scale. One area increasingly under review is print. Despite the rapid shift toward digital marketing and communication, print remains an essential part of day-to-day business operations. From brochures, catalogues and training manuals to business [...]

According to Focus Label Machinery, the shift to digitalisation is not necessarily replacing established production methods, but is allowing businesses to better adapt to shifts in workload patterns and customer expectations that have been building for some time. Digital capacity in label printing is often discussed in terms of innovation or transformation, or even ‘disruption’. On the shop floor, however, the growing importance of digital inkjet and hybrid technology appears to be less dramatic and more incremental. Across the sector, many converters are managing increased job variation, making digital [...]

Midcomp has announced its participation at the Africa Print Durban Expo. The event is taking place Wednesday and Thursday, 27-28 May at the Durban ICC, 9am-5pm. Attendees visiting the Midcomp stand can look forward to seeing the HP Latex 630W P&C, and learn more about the company’s PPU and PPUGRO programme. The new HP Latex 630 printer series completes HP’s Latex range and makes white ink technology available to Print Service Providers (PSPs) of all sizes. White ink allows users to produce a more impactful range of signage and [...]

Graphix Supply World (GSW) will launch the Mimaki UJ330H-160 at the Africa Print expo in Durban. The event is taking place Wednesday and Thursday, 27-28 May at the Durban ICC, 9am-5pm. As part of Mimaki’s renowned 330 Series, the UJ330H-160 brings the series’ advanced image quality and productivity into a versatile hybrid configuration. Developed in response to growing market demand for flexible, investment-conscious production environments, the system enables seamless switching between roll media and rigid substrates in one platform. The newly developed conveyor belt transport system ensures stable feeding [...]

Big 5 Distribution is showcasing a range of printing solutions at the Africa Print Durban Expo, taking place Wednesday and Thursday, 27-28 May at the Durban ICC, 9am-5pm. The company’s brands include Citizen, Astro Nova and GoDEX. Citizen The CL-S621II is a precision engineered, fast and easy-to-use unit that includes all the capabilities of the CL-S521II plus the option to print in both direct thermal and thermal transfer modes. The CL-S700III series is designed to combine everything users love about label printing with unparalleled user experience. It is an ideal industrial [...]

Mohammed Vachiat, Chief Commercial Officer at Konica Minolta South Africa, discussed integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in industries such as packaging and how AI-powered analytics can help optimise production. Please could you expand on how Konica Minolta South Africa is integrating AI and automation, and the printing industries in which these technologies are best suited. Konica Minolta South Africa has actively integrated AI and automation into its digital printing and packaging solutions to enhance efficiency, quality, and scalability. This includes the use of intelligent workflow software, automated colour [...]

Midcomp has announced its participation at the Africa Print Durban Expo. The event is taking place Wednesday and Thursday, 27-28 May at the Durban ICC, 9am-5pm. Attendees visiting the Midcomp stand can look forward to seeing the HP Latex 630W P&C, and learn more about the company’s PPU and PPUGRO programme. The new HP Latex 630 printer series completes HP’s Latex range and makes white ink technology available to Print Service Providers (PSPs) of all sizes. White ink allows users to produce a more impactful range of signage and [...]

Martin Teilberg, Global Marketing Manager at Nilpeter, discussed flexo trends, the importance of data, opportunities in South Africa and more. 1. What are the top 2026 flexo industry trends? The biggest trend in 2026 is that flexo continues to strengthen its position as the most scalable and commercially robust technology for mainstream label production. We see converters investing in higher automation, wider use of Extended Colour Gamut (ECG), stronger workflow integration, and significantly improved productivity. At the same time, we see more converters working with multiple technologies. But it is important [...]