The packaging and print industry has spent the better part of the past decade investing in smarter presses, automated workflows and digital technologies. Yet two questions continue to surface in boardrooms, training centres and factory floors alike: who will run the press, and who will design the packaging of the future?

These questions have implications beyond the print room. The broader fibre processing and manufacturing sector employs almost 540 000 people and accounts for almost one-third of the country’s manufacturing workforce. The latest Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority (FP&M SETA) Sector Skills Plan (SSP) notes that technology, sustainability requirements and changing market dynamics are reshaping the skills manufacturers require.

For packaging, print and plastics businesses, the challenge is no longer only filling vacancies. It is finding employees who can operate increasingly sophisticated equipment, understand automated production environments and adapt to a manufacturing sector in transition.

Every company should be asking which roles are critical to our future, which skills are at risk of being lost and who we are developing now to take over those roles.

At the same time, companies are searching for packaging technologists, designers and other packaging professionals capable of developing the materials, formats and systems needed to meet evolving sustainability, performance and regulatory requirements.

Many experienced operators, artisans, setters and supervisors are approaching retirement, raising the risk that decades of shop-floor knowledge could be lost faster than it is replaced.

‘The print and packaging sectors are at a defining moment,’ says Dr Felleng Yende, CEO of FP&M SETA. ‘Addressing the skills challenge is not only about filling vacancies. It is about future-proofing an industry that is critical to South Africa’s manufacturing ecosystem.’

A workforce in transition

FP&M SETA’s latest SSP shows an industry in transition. The broader sector comprises 13 subsectors employing approximately 539 643 people, with most workers in the 35 to 54-year age group. This profile makes succession planning and knowledge transfer an urgent priority.

The Sector Priority Occupations and Interventions (SPOI) list identifies packaging manufacturing machine minders, production and operations supervisors, engineering managers, digital artists and specialised machine mechanics among the roles requiring intervention.

At the same time, new roles are emerging. Packaging automation engineers, sustainable packaging designers and green supply chain analysts are identified as future growth areas.

‘One of the biggest changes we’re seeing is that young people’s expectations of work have shifted,’ says Jermaine Naicker, MD of Printing SA. ‘It’s no longer enough to point someone to a machine and tell them to get on with the job. Today’s generation wants to understand the bigger picture; why they’re doing something, how it contributes to the business and where it fits into their own career development. They have access to more information than ever before, and that is influencing how they choose employers and career paths.’

According to Qhamani Mali, marketing and communications manager at FP&M SETA, the challenge spans every level of production. ‘The skills shortage in the print and packaging subsectors is both urgent and systemic,’ he says. ‘In packaging specifically, occupations such as machine minders and printing and finishing technicians are in short supply. Beyond technical roles, shortages also exist in production supervision, engineering management and design and digital production.’

Jermaine says apprenticeship training was once the bedrock of the industry’s skills development pipeline but has steadily declined under economic pressure.

‘Over time, many businesses reduced or abandoned apprenticeship programmes altogether. The result is an ageing skills base and too few young people entering the pipeline.’

He adds that the industry is beginning to respond. ‘We’re seeing renewed interest in artisan development and apprenticeship training. Businesses understand that robotics, automation and AI are valuable, but technology alone cannot displace skilled people who understand processes, machinery and production environments.’

Tomorrow’s print professional will need to be just as comfortable working with software and automated workflows as they are with ink, substrate and press settings.

More than a labour shortage

For Plastics SA, the issue extends beyond workforce planning. ‘The skills shortage is serious because it is no longer only an operational training issue,’ says Kirtida Bhana, head of the Plastics SA Academy for Learning and Development. ‘It is becoming a strategic competitiveness issue for the packaging, print and plastics sectors.’

For years, the industry relied on experienced operators, machine setters, technicians and artisans who developed practical expertise through years of production experience.

‘Many of these employees are now nearing retirement, and the risk is that the sector may lose critical tacit knowledge faster than it is replaced,’ Kirtida explains.

At the same time, the technical demands on the workforce are growing.

‘The future workforce will need to understand plastics processing, materials, defects, tooling, quality and safety, but also be able to work with automation, data, digital interfaces, sustainability requirements and recycled-content materials.’

The factory floor has changed

The shift is already being felt by converters and manufacturers. Dieter Kreissel, head of Master Plastics’ flexible division, says process engineering is one of the industry’s weakest points, despite underpinning productivity, quality, waste reduction and profitability.

Dieter believes an underlying cause is the disconnect between education and industry. ‘The future of packaging and new processes doesn’t seem to feature at universities, where polymer faculties do not even have an extruder as an example,’ he says. ‘Skills development is left to industry and individual companies. We develop and mentor in-house because many of the controls and skills needed in our business are simply not found elsewhere locally.’

At the Flexo Frontier seminar in February, Jermaine presented BMI Research data mapping the structural changes in the print industry. Employment fell from around 90 000 jobs in 2016 to between 35 000 and 40 000 in 2025.

While those numbers appear worrying, they reflect a leaner, more automated manufacturing environment. Fewer people are required to produce more output, but those remaining need a wider and more sophisticated skillset.

‘The industry is investing in automation, digitalisation and cutting-edge production equipment, but that doesn’t remove the need for skilled people,’ says Hilton van Rensburg, managing director of VR Print. ‘If anything, it changes the type of skills required.’

For Hilton, today’s flexographic press operator requires a broader skillset than previous generations. ‘As well as running a machine, a modern press operator needs to understand colour, substrates, adhesives, tooling, quality requirements, waste reduction and production efficiency.’

He adds: ‘Many people still view print as a traditional manufacturing industry, but modern label and packaging production is highly automated, technology-driven and constantly evolving.’

Jermaine believes AI may replace tasks, but not trades. ‘Manufacturing and converting still require skilled people. Production environments still require technical expertise.’

Building the next generation

Jermaine says training has evolved over recent years. Traditional classroom teaching has moved to a blended model that combines online learning with workplace practical training, making technical education more accessible across the printing, packaging, signage and visual communications sectors.

Printing SA now offers training in commercial digital printing, colour management, Adobe Creative Cloud programmes, CoralDRAW and AI and generative AI for graphic design, alongside a wide range of technical, administrative and management courses.

Tomorrow’s print professional will need to be as comfortable working with software and automated workflows as they are with ink, substrate and press settings.

While much of the industry’s skills discussion centres on machine operators, technicians and artisans, the packaging sector faces a parallel challenge: developing professionals capable of designing packaging solutions, selecting materials, managing compliance requirements and balancing performance, cost and sustainability objectives.

The packaging sector is addressing the challenge from a different angle. For more than 50 years, the Institute of Packaging South Africa (IPSA) has developed packaging professionals – the technologists, designers, developers and specification specialists responsible for designing, selecting and managing packaging systems. Through structured education programmes, IPSA focuses on the technical, commercial and sustainability aspects of packaging.

Dr Kishan Singh, IPSA’s national education chairman, says: ‘The challenges of the industry will be met by ongoing education, skills development and knowledge-sharing initiatives throughout the packaging value chain.’

Unlike technical training aimed at machine operation and production, IPSA’s programmes focus on the professionals responsible for packaging design, material selection, product protection, sustainability and supply chain performance.

Another key IPSA initiative is the Student Gold Pack competition, which introduces tertiary students to packaging design and technology challenges.

In 2025, the competition attracted close to 1 000 students from 32 tertiary institutions across South Africa. A total of 318 projects reached final judging, with 100 finalists recognised across the graphic design, industrial design, packaging technology and food science categories.

The competition also provides a direct link between students and industry, helping position packaging as a viable and rewarding career for young professionals entering the workplace.

A shared responsibility

The industry’s skills challenge will not be solved by training institutions alone.

FP&M SETA, Plastics SA, Printing SA, IPSA and manufacturers agree that stronger collaboration between employers, education providers and industry bodies is required.

Kirtida says companies need to move away from reactive training. ‘Skills development must become part of business strategy,’ she says. ‘Every company should be asking which roles are critical to our future, which skills are at risk of being lost and who is being developed now to take over those roles.’

This requires investment in apprenticeships, workplace learning, industry-led training and structured professional development. It also means stronger collaboration between industry bodies, training providers and employers to ensure that skills programmes keep pace with rapidly changing technologies.

Kishan believes industry also has a direct role to play in strengthening the talent pipeline. This includes implementing succession plans for critical technical and leadership positions, supporting continuous professional development, recruiting more young people into packaging careers and recognising packaging as a profession in its own right rather than simply a manufacturing function. He also encourages companies to invest in formal training pathways by sponsoring employees through IPSA’s education programmes.

‘The industry has spent decades investing in machinery, technology, automation and infrastructure,’ says Kishan. ‘The next decade must be about investing in people.’

A packaging plant can purchase a new machine in a matter of months. Developing a skilled press operator, machine technician, packaging technologist or packaging professional can take years. This may be the industry’s biggest challenge.

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