Milkor 380 UAV: South Africa's homegrown drone impresses G20

A South African-made drone has turned heads at the G20 Summit, drawing unexpected international interest in the country’s growing defence and aerospace sector.

Delegates highlighted the Milkor 380, the largest Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ever designed and flown on the African continent, which was prominently showcased by the Cape Town-based company.

Daniel du Plessis, Communications Director at Milkor, says global attention stems from the drone’s scale and capability: a 30-hour endurance, 4,000-kilometre range, and a 220-kilogramme payload suitable for border surveillance, anti-poaching, maritime monitoring and intelligence operations.

"The work we've been doing in terms of drone development and UAV technology in South Africa has been quite substantial and has garnered quite a lot of interest, not only from countries inside the G20, but also countries on the Continent and globally, to come in to see how we are busy developing these technologies and what they could be used for in their day-to-day operations.”

Du Plessis says Milkor employs around 550 engineers and technicians, all locally sourced. South Africa is one of only 10 countries producing UAVs of this size.

He notes that retaining skilled engineers remains a key challenge, but argues that South Africa’s long history in defence manufacturing and growing international demand is helping build a new pipeline of talent for the sector.

"What we have done is we've tried to retain as much of the old skills as possible, guys that have experience in UAVs for years, and then also employing quite a lot of new up and coming talent. So, recruiting engineers and artisans from top institutions in South Africa, and then handing over these skills to ensure that they don't get lost. Then, alongside that, we also try to build quite a sense of patriotism in this as well.

"South Africa has had a large history of being a global exporter of defence and security equipment, and for any South African to be a part of such a system that is world-renowned and world-leading, it offers a huge opportunity."

To listen to Du Plessis in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, click below: