2nd Root Cause Analysis Africa Conference,
Cape Town, South Africa 2026
Book before 01 September 2025
Attendance of conference is for catering and logistical purposes, the cost for the conference is all inclusive of all activities, the workshop, sessions, teas, lunches for one attendee.
| Professional Registration | R12 500 excl VAT |
| Academic Registration | R9 000 excl VAT |
| Student Registration | R5 000 excl VAT |
Book by the 28th February 2026
| Professional Registration | R17 500 excl VAT |
| Academic Registration | R12 500 excl VAT |
| Student Registration | R9 000 excl VAT |
2025 RCA CONFERENCE
Highlights
Guest Speakers
Dr Robert Ochola
PhD Graduate in Materials Engineering and experienced in a range of economies and industries in Africa in his career in Banking across Africa trade
Philip Myburgh
Group Head: Trade, Business & Commercial Banking, Standard Bank Group
Advocate Michael Wragge SC
Advocate and Senior Council, Cape Bar. Practice predominantly in the area of maritime and admiralty law
What is this unique conference about?
This conference uniquely brings together the ecosystem of Financiers, Underwriters, Loss Adjusters, Insurance Professionals, Legal Professionals to derisk key projects in Africa that are set of enable the planned industrialization of the continent using key professional metallurgical and materials engineering expertise.
- Recent breakthroughs in novel materials (e.g., advanced composites, high-performance polymers)
- The future of material innovation and its impact on various industries
- Best practices for material selection in diverse applications
- Techniques for optimising material properties to meet specific performance criteria
- Latest developments in corrosion-resistant coatings and treatments
- Strategies for improving wear resistance in demanding environments
And more.
FAQ’s
How applying key metallurgical and materials engineering expertise at decision making level when projects start can derisk the project and improve on the overall return on investment over the 20 year life span of the project, how the project can be derisked for underwriters, how this information can assist with claims handling and how expertise can be used by legal professionals at contract level and should claims become a reality.
This event is ideal for professionals in mining, manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, academia, and anyone with a stake in high-precision materials testing or ISO-accredited lab services.
The conference will be held in March 2026 in Cape Town The Vinyard Hotel.
Early Bird Registration is currently open above. For partnerships or speaking opportunities, please contact OE front desk directly.
This conference is not just about materials engineering, it is about how materials engineering can dramatically improve the financial security and stability of a project. Yes we will look at various root cause analysis put with the purpose of connecting the dots up to the key decision makers so that they are enabled to approach projects and contracts with this information in mind. It is to take away the blind side that exists in most key infrastructure projects across Africa, enabling the planned industrialiation of the continent in the next 20 years.
Yes, CPD accreditation is currently being finalised and will be confirmed before registration opens.
Absolutely. We welcome the next generation of engineers and metallurgists, with dedicated sessions and student packages available.
Dr. Cotton is a leading metallurgist, founder of One Eighty Materials Engineering Solutions, and a trailblazer in accredited materials testing and engineering innovation in Africa.
2025 RCA CONFERENCE
Schedule
| Wednesday 12 March 2025 ZEISS Microscopy Workshop |
||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 08:30 for 08:45 | Introduction | Dr Janet Cotton |
| 09:00 – 10:00 | Introduction and modern microscopy trends | |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Tea Break | |
| 10:30 – 11:25 | Materials applications in ZEN Core Imaging Software: Grains, Cast Iron, Multiphase, Layer Thickness, Comparative Diagrams | Dr Noushin Maharrami |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Hands-on session with the ZEISS Axio Imager.M2m and sample demos | |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch & Exhibit | |
| 13:30 – 14:40 | Deep learning applications in image analysis with Arivis | Dr Tamara Manuelian |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Tea Break | |
| 15:30 – 16:30 | Live demonstrations and sample demos | |
| 16:30 onwards | Networking Event – Drinks, Canapés, and Welcome Exhibitor presentations | |
| Thursday 13 March 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 08:30 for 08:45 | Welcome Address | Dr Janet Cotton |
| 09:15 – 10:00 | Keynote Speaker: The key role of materials engineering in various economies in Africa | Dr Robert Ochola |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Tea Break | |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Challenges facing the South African mining industry | Prof Cyril O’Connor |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Vignette 1 – Specialist Loss Adjusters | Richard Baker |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Vignette 2 – Specialist Loss Adjusters | Richard Baker |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Assessing the residual lifetime of in-service components by micro-sampling: an innovative method of predictive maintenance | Laurent Ponson |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch & Exhibit | |
| 14:00 – 14:30 | Composite testing for a BV Marine and Offshore Classed Composite Vessel | Sarah Virgin |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Ship disposal: A commercial perspective | Robert Denovan |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Tea Break & Exhibit | |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Why you cannot regrade EN 10025 JR material to J2 classification and the associated risks of catastrophic failure – A metallurgical perspective | Dr Janet Cotton |
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Breaking point: Root cause analysis in the marine industry | Karl Waters |
| 16:30 – 17:00 | Root cause analysis of a rudder stock failure | Marcelle de Waal |
| Friday 14 March 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 08:30 for 08:45 | Welcome Address | Dr Janet Cotton |
| 09:15 – 10:00 | Unlocking Africa’s economic growth: Trade, investment & energy frontiers | Philip Myburgh |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Tea Break & Exhibit | |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | The role of an expert in litigation | Adv Michael Wragge SC |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Root cause analysis: The importance of early gathering of evidence in maritime claims under South African law | Malcolm Hartwell |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Statistical fractography: The missing link between fracture mechanics and failure analysis | Julien Delgado |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Navigating the tariff classification crises in the steel industry: The SARS debacle | Caylynn Jacobson |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch & Exhibit | |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Recovery of the Barc Europa – A marine salvage case study | Captain Nick Sloane |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Tea Break & Exhibit | |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Two case studies in litigation: A failed bollard and failed paint coating of a fire reticulation system | Dr Janet Cotton |
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Student poster presentations | |
| 18:00 | Conference closes | |
2025 MEDIA COVERAGE
EVENT PHOTOS
