Between 1970 and 2013, Africa's contribution to global manufacturing fell from around 3% to 2%.  In South Africa manufacturing was 20% of GDP in 1990, it is 13% now.
While power is not now (in spite of the scares in 2007-08) the big problem facing manufacturers in South Africa, strong unions and high pay-roll taxes are.
There is also a problem of political leadership.  Investing in manufacturing and mining, means first investing in factory buildings, machines, raw materials and the first couple of  payrolls to ungrateful staff before any profits come in.
If you have a political leadership which sees new factories, mines and machines and effectively steals them to give to its friends,  for personal and short-term political gain, no-one will invest.  
I am afraid the chances of anyone investing in South Africa and exploit the  retooling Dirk De Vos identifies are very slim.