Good growth, new products, from local defence company

South African private-sector defence company Rheinmetall Defence Munition (RDM) is enjoying strong growth in its business, which is dominated by exports. “Things are going exceptionally good for RDM,” company CEO Norbert Schulze told Engineering News Online. “Since 2016, we have been growing at 20% a year. Under our plans, this will continue until 2020. Most of this is export business.” Only about 18% of the company’s business is local, with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) accounting for 6% of total business, Denel for 9% and the other 3% being attributed to civilian markets. “But the SANDF business is important because it gives us the reputational base that allows us to win exports,” he explained.