As its expansion into Africa gathers pace, SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa is getting closer to customers and building stronger direct partnerships – to push modernisation and efficiency. “It just makes sense for our customers to have direct access to the OEM,” says Jonathan McKey, national sales and marketing manager at SEW-EURODRIVE. “This is particularly relevant in Africa, where distances to sites can be lengthy, and the infrastructure is often limited.” He points out that SEW-EURODRIVE in South Africa is already serving large multinational corporations around Africa who have global agreements with SEW-EURODRIVE at head office level. These customers are active in industries such as food and beverage, automotive, mining and specialised machinery.
“Big international customers want to know that all their subsidiaries around the world can receive the same high quality of service for their SEW-EURODRIVE equipment,” he says. “The same applies for any size of customer; Africa is now demanding higher levels of technical support, especially in those countries experiencing economic growth and technological advancement.”
He notes that governments are also encouraging the global private sector to have a local presence in African countries, and SEW-EURODRIVE is responding to that call. This fits well with the SEW-EURODRIVE culture of being close to customers wherever they are, so that the service response can be quicker and more effective.
“We are very serious about implementing this culture, and we are well positioned to drive our expansion initiative into Africa,” he says. SEW-EURODRIVE has already placed staff in Kenya and Zambia, and is planning to establish a presence in three more African countries during 2023.
Placing its own people on the ground around Africa will enhance to value to customers, says McKey, especially with SEW-EURODRIVE’s continuous development and ‘zero complacency’ approach to innovation.
“Our research and development cover a wide range of fields that can benefit customers – from gearing topography to specialised gearbox oils,” he says. “With more sophisticated tools to analyse our own products, we have been able to offer customers even higher reliability and improvements in aspects such as torque demand.”
This progress has been enhanced by a strong digital offering, which Africa is already well placed to leverage. SEW-EURODRIVE has some of the most advanced technology for monitoring the condition of drives, paving the way for customers to apply more proactive maintenance. Raymond Obermeyer, managing director of SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, highlights that Africa is generally well advanced in digital communication.
“Access to the cellular network makes everything possible, from selecting and buying gearboxes to monitoring and analysing their performance remotely,” says Obermeyer. Indeed, the range of SEW-EURODRIVE equipment has been designed to use multiple communication methods, and to communicate to every device from scada systems to computers and mobile phones. Systems like DriveRadar can therefore be installed on a product and monitored from anywhere in the world where there is a data signal.
Given this depth of technology and innovation, McKey emphasises that direct contact with customers is preferable to working through a ‘middle man’. Through its extensive and ongoing training efforts, the company upskills its own employees and customer staff, to fully understand both the operation and the potential of its technology.
“We have invested in our in-house Drive Academy for precisely this purpose. It can provide skills development in-person, at our Johannesburg facility or remotely,” he says. “This creates a symbiotic relationship with customers, where we support each other in the trend towards modernisation.”
This applies to both the company’s modular ranges and its purpose-built products – such as the air-cooled condenser (ACC) solutions. Greater in-house expertise also ensures that constant advancements are brought to customers’ attention. A recent example of this was the evolution of the robust X series industrial gear units to the state-of-the-art Generation X.e units, delivering new possibilities in performance, safety and efficiency.
Obermeyer points out that the most advanced SEW-EURODRIVE products are already found all over Africa, showing how the continent has embraced technology. The company’s expectation is that this equipment is supplied and maintained to the same highest standards anywhere in the world. The growing footprint of SEW-EURODRIVE branches across Africa will ensure that this is achieved, he says.
Reinstatement opportunity for ECSA registration
News
In 2023 the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) announced a special opportunity for engineers in South Africa to reinstate their registration status if it had been cancelled. This exclusive offer is available until the end of August 2024.
Read more...The top 10 emerging technologies of 2025
News
The World Economic Forum’s top 10 emerging technologies of 2025 are expected to deliver real-world impact within three to five years and address urgent global challenges.
Read more...Comtest calibration user group seminar
News
Comtest invites metrology and calibration professionals to a focused technical seminar series aimed at demystifying some of the most common hurdles in inter-laboratory comparisons.
Read more...Technology leaders shaping 2025
News
In an era where agility, innovation and execution are paramount, ABI Research’s latest report, ‘26 Technology Companies Leading the Way in 2025’ identifies the top players shaping the future across key digital technology segments.
Read more...Omniflex through the decades Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
News
As Omniflex celebrates 60 years of engineering excellence, we take a look back at the decade that saw us really kick in and deliver major engineering projects – the 1970s.
Read more...Proven drive technology solutions for the sugar industry SEW-EURODRIVE
Motion Control & Drives
As the South African sugar industry continues to optimise efficiency, uptime and sustainability across cane handling, processing and refining, SEW-EURODRIVE is helping drive this momentum with its world-class drive technology and local service support.
Read more...South Africa’s green hydrogen leap
News
Over the past 12 months, South Africa has solidified its ambitions to become a global green hydrogen leader. Riding on abundant renewable energy resources and strategic partnerships, the country has advanced from early-stage promise to tangible project groundwork. These are the most significant developments from mid-2024 through mid-2025.
Read more...Rewiring the nation
News
South Africa’s energy sector is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Long defined by its heavy dependence on coal, the country is now making significant progress toward a more diverse and sustainable energy mix.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version