From The Chairman’s Table

Innovation, Leadership and the Future of LEEASA

As we move through another exciting year for LEEASA, it is evident that our association continues to evolve in line with the needs of an ever-changing lifting industry. Our commitment remains steadfast—to advance professionalism, promote competency, embrace innovation and provide practical value to every member and stakeholder within our industry.

The months ahead represent an important milestone for LEEASA as we prepare to welcome a newly elected Board of Directors, launch several new digital initiatives and continue expanding the services available to our members.

LEEASA Annual General Meeting – 10 July 2026

Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on 10 July 2026 during Condra’s 60th Birthday Celebration, and I would like to personally encourage every member to attend.

This promises to be far more than just an AGM. Condra has generously opened its doors to the industry to celebrate an incredible milestone—60 years of engineering excellence and innovation. Attendance is completely free of charge, making it a fantastic opportunity for professionals throughout the lifting industry to participate in a day dedicated to learning, networking and celebrating our industry.

Guests can look forward to insightful technical presentations, factory tours, engaging discussions and the opportunity to interact directly with lifting equipment manufacturers, engineering professionals, inspectors, end users and many of the industry’s leading role players. Events such as these strengthen collaboration across our profession and provide invaluable opportunities to share knowledge and experience.

Whether you are an engineer, inspector, safety professional, contractor, equipment owner or end user, I strongly encourage you to join us for what promises to be an informative and rewarding day.

Electing the Next LEEASA Board of Directors

One of the most important responsibilities of our members is participating in the election of the leadership that will guide the association over the coming years.

I am pleased to announce that nominations for the LEEASA Board of Directors have now officially closed. We have received nominations from individuals who have demonstrated a passion for advancing our industry and contributing to the continued success of the association.

The election process will proceed according to the following timeline:

• 30 June 2026 – Distribution of all nominated candidates’ Curriculum Vitae and motivation letters to eligible voting members.

• 2 July – 5 July 2026 – Electronic voting period for the election of the new Board of Directors.

• 6 July 2026 – The newly elected Board will convene to nominate and appoint the incoming Chairman.

• 10 July 2026 – The newly elected Board of Directors will be formally announced during the LEEASA Annual General Meeting at Condra’s 60th Birthday Celebration.

  
  

This democratic process ensures that the association continues to be guided by committed professionals who represent the interests of our members while helping shape the future of South Africa’s lifting industry. I encourage every eligible member to participate in the voting process and play an active role in determining the future leadership of LEEASA.

A New Digital Era for LEEASA

Perhaps the most significant development this year has been the launch of the new LEEASA website, which represents a major step forward in how we serve our members and industry stakeholders. The website has been designed as a fully integrated digital platform, providing members with convenient self-service functionality and immediate access to the association’s growing range of services.

Members can now:

• Renew memberships online.

• Register for conferences, events and training courses.

• Purchase LEEASA products, inspection tools and technical equipment directly through the online shop.

• Access information relating to LEEASA’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes.

• Register for new LEEASA CPD courses as well as courses offered by our approved CPD Service Providers.

• Access important industry updates, technical articles and association news.

This is only the beginning. Our vision is to create the most comprehensive online knowledge and service platform for the lifting industry in Southern Africa.

Artificial Intelligence Comes to LEEASA

Innovation continues to be one of the association’s key strategic objectives, and I am extremely proud to announce the launch of our first LEEASA Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistant.

This AI-powered assistant is now available through the LEEASA website and has been specifically developed to answer questions relating to LEEASA, membership, industry information and association services, providing users with immediate access to information whenever they need it.

Over the coming weeks, we will introduce several additional AI assistants, including a dedicated Technical AI Bot designed to assist industry professionals with technical guidance and industry-related enquiries. For the remainder of 2026, these AI tools will be made freely available to the wider lifting industry. This allows LEEASA to continuously evaluate, improve and refine the systems while gathering valuable user feedback.

From 2027, it is anticipated that access to the full suite of AI assistants will become an exclusive benefit available to LEEASA members. This phased implementation ensures that our members ultimately receive a premium digital resource while allowing us sufficient time to monitor system performance and continually improve the quality of information provided.

We believe artificial intelligence will become an invaluable tool for engineers, inspectors, employers, technicians and end users by making trusted industry information available instantly and efficiently.

Looking Ahead to Electra Mining 2026

Preparations are also well underway for one of the industry’s premier events—the 2026 LEEASA Annual National Conference, which will once again be hosted during the Electra Mining Show on 9 and 10 September 2026.

This two-day conference will bring together industry leaders, regulators, manufacturers, engineering professionals and technical specialists from across Southern Africa for an outstanding programme of presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

Registration is now open and can be completed directly through the new LEEASA website.

As the association continues to grow, so too does our responsibility to provide meaningful value to our members. Whether through education, digital innovation, professional networking, technical guidance or industry advocacy, our objective remains the same—to strengthen the lifting industry through collaboration, competence and continual improvement.

I would like to thank every member, volunteer, director, sponsor and industry stakeholder who continues to support the work of LEEASA. The progress we have made together is something we can all be proud of, and I have no doubt that the next chapter of our association will be our most exciting yet.

I look forward to welcoming many of you to our AGM on 10 July, and again at our Annual National Conference during Electra Mining 2026, as together we continue building a stronger, safer and more professional lifting industry.

Yours in SAFE LIFTING,

Kyle Graham and the rest of the LEEASA team