Market analyst BMI-TechKnowledge predicts that growth in the SA copier market will be mainly in digital copiers, with pockets of growth in the colour market.
The latest BMI-T South Africa Copier Forecast and Analysis, 2002-2007, estimates that the installed base of copiers in SA expanded 8.5% to reach 164 590 units by the end of 2002.
Loretta Pein, senior analyst at BMI-T, says 50% of the installed base of copiers in SA is analogue. However, she says a switch to digital machines is under way. "Future growth in the SA copier market is in digital."
Pein says last year, the local copier market registered 35 262 units with a value of R1 092 million. "The market was primarily driven by solid demand from small and medium-sized businesses," she says.
BMI-T believes the copier market will remain stable over the five-year forecast period. Copier sales are projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 0.9% in volume and contract -3.2% in value through 2007 as a gradual shift towards higher-speed copiers is expected. Copiers in the lower speed segments should encounter stiff competition coming from the printer-based multifunctional peripheral machines.
BMI-T further believes the copier vendors will have to team up with additional channel partners that will be able to provide support for the new solution business. Given the complexity and longer sales cycles, vendors will also have to look into providing more direct support, such as sales, consulting and training, to their channel partners and even directly to their large customers.
The report also says documents solutions are set to play an increased role in the value chain, offering a variety of benefits such as reduced document costs and greater workflow efficiencies.
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