For SEW-EURODRIVE, Electra Mining Africa 2026 served as a platform to demonstrate how the business has expanded beyond traditional equipment supply to deliver integrated engineering solutions and long-term operational support.
According to Jonathan McKey, national sales and marketing manager at SEW-EURODRIVE, the company’s presence at the exhibition reflected a much broader shift taking place across industry. “Customers are increasingly looking for partners who can support them beyond the initial equipment purchase,” McKey says. “They want solutions that improve efficiency, reliability and productivity over the long term, and they want access to the technical expertise that can help them achieve these outcomes.”
Across two exhibition stands, SEW-EURODRIVE showcased how its engineering capabilities, digital technologies, service offering and industry expertise combine to support customers from installation and commissioning through to maintenance, optimisation and long-term asset management.
The company demonstrated how modern industrial operations require far more than individual products. Mining companies, manufacturers, logistics operators, ports, agricultural businesses and processing plants are all under pressure to increase productivity, reduce energy consumption and extend equipment life while maintaining operational reliability. This has created growing demand for integrated solutions that address entire processes rather than individual components.
“Our objective goes beyond supplying equipment,” McKey says. “We want to help customers modernise their operations and improve the performance of their critical assets through the right combination of engineering, technology and service support.” This philosophy has driven SEW-EURODRIVE’s transition from a supplier of motors and gear units to a provider of complete drivetrain solutions supported by local manufacturing, engineering expertise, condition monitoring, maintenance services and long-term lifecycle support.
A changing industrial landscape
Across Africa, industrial operators are facing an increasingly complex operating environment. Rising energy costs, ageing infrastructure, growing sustainability requirements and pressure to improve productivity are forcing businesses to reassess how they manage their assets. Many mining and industrial facilities continue to operate equipment that was installed decades ago. While these assets often remain functional, they may no longer deliver the efficiency, reliability or operating costs required in today’s competitive environment. At the same time, operations are under pressure to improve plant availability, reduce downtime and optimise energy consumption while extending the life of existing infrastructure.
According to McKey, these challenges require a different approach from suppliers. “Customers increasingly want to work with companies that understand their operations and can contribute to improving performance over the long term,” he says. “The discussion has moved beyond individual products to reliability, efficiency, sustainability and asset performance.” This changing environment has created opportunities for companies capable of combining products, engineering expertise, digital technologies and service support into integrated solutions.
Industry expertise drove the discussion
At Electra Mining Africa, visitors to the SEW-EURODRIVE stands experienced an exhibition designed around industries and their lifecycles rather than products. The company believes meaningful engagement begins with understanding the specific operating challenges faced by different sectors. Specialists from mining, materials handling, logistics, manufacturing, processing, agriculture and other industrial sectors were available throughout the exhibition.
“We deliberately created opportunities for industry-specific discussions,” McKey says. “By understanding the unique challenges faced by each sector, we can develop solutions that deliver meaningful improvements in efficiency, reliability and sustainability.” This consultative approach allowed customers to discuss operational issues, maintenance challenges, expansion projects and future plans directly with specialists who understand their industries. Dedicated meeting areas also facilitated more detailed technical discussions and longer-term strategic conversations. The objective was to help customers identify opportunities to improve the performance of their operations.
Modernisation as a growth opportunity
A major focus of these discussions was plant modernisation. Across many industries, legacy infrastructure continues in operation long after its original design life. While this equipment often continues to function, it may no longer provide the levels of efficiency, reliability or operating performance required by modern operations. SEW-EURODRIVE increasingly works with customers to assess existing installations, conduct energy surveys, evaluate drivetrain performance and identify opportunities to improve plant efficiency and reduce operating costs.
“Modernisation does not necessarily mean replacing entire systems,” McKey explains. “Often it involves upgrading technologies, improving reliability and introducing solutions that extend equipment life and improve operational performance.” These assessments can include drivetrain studies, energy evaluations, maintenance reviews and broader operational analyses that help customers understand where improvements can be achieved. In many cases, relatively modest interventions can deliver significant benefits in energy efficiency, reliability and maintenance costs. The company believes that helping customers modernise existing infrastructure will become an increasingly important part of industrial development across Africa.
Lifecycle support becomes increasingly important
The evolution of SEW-EURODRIVE’s business model has also been driven by growing demand for lifecycle support. Customers increasingly require support that extends well beyond installation and commissioning. Maintenance agreements, asset management strategies, repair services, condition monitoring and technical support have become critical elements of operational performance.
“Our exhibition stands reflected how we partner with customers across the full operational lifecycle,” McKey says. “The overarching message was about integration and modernisation, helping customers progress further along their sustainability and productivity journey.” This approach allows SEW-EURODRIVE to become an integral part of customers’ operations, supporting assets throughout their operational lives. Service level agreements, maintenance programmes and long-term support arrangements are increasingly becoming part of the overall value proposition.
Expanding service capability
Supporting this approach is the company’s expanding service capability in South Africa. The continued development of SEW-EURODRIVE’s Johannesburg facilities has significantly enhanced its ability to provide repair, remanufacturing, reverse engineering and lifecycle support services. The expanded capabilities include gearbox repair and gear remanufacturing, electric motor rewinding, reverse engineering, light engineering services and the manufacture of customised solutions designed to simplify equipment upgrades.
These services are not limited to SEW-EURODRIVE products. The company can assess, repair and reverse engineer equipment from other manufacturers, helping customers extend asset life and reduce replacement costs. Where repair is no longer feasible, SEW-EURODRIVE can provide cost-effective drop-in replacement solutions using new SEW products. “With our technical expertise and specialised workshop capabilities, we can often restore or modernise equipment that may otherwise be considered obsolete,” McKey says. Advanced technologies such as 3D scanning and digital engineering tools are increasingly being used to develop improved replacement components and support remanufacturing initiatives, enabling customers to improve equipment performance while reducing the costs and disruptions associated with complete replacement.
Digital technologies and operational visibility
Digital technologies also formed an important part of the company’s offering. Condition monitoring systems, energy assessments and predictive maintenance tools allow customers to gain greater visibility into equipment performance while reducing unplanned downtime and improving maintenance planning. Technologies such as DriveRadar provide valuable operational information that can assist maintenance teams in identifying potential problems before failures occur. Real-time monitoring and data-driven maintenance strategies are becoming increasingly important as operators seek to maximise equipment availability and improve maintenance efficiency. SEW-EURODRIVE sees these technologies as important components within broader operational optimisation strategies. “Modern drive technology, digital solutions and engineering expertise all contribute to improved productivity and sustainability,” McKey says.
Investing in skills and training
Investment in training and skills development is central to the company’s strategy. Through its expanded DriveAcademy, SEW-EURODRIVE provides practical training programmes that help customers maximise equipment performance and build internal technical capability. The training centre provides hands-on learning opportunities, practical demonstrations and application-based instruction that supports both equipment operation and maintenance. “Training is fundamental to long-term equipment performance,” McKey says. “Well-trained people are essential for achieving the full value of any technology investment.” The company believes that skills development will continue to play a critical role in supporting industrial growth and improving operational reliability throughout Africa.
Supporting growth across Africa
Although South Africa is a major operational base, SEW-EURODRIVE’s ambitions extend across the continent. The company is increasingly providing service agreements, maintenance programmes, engineering support and modernisation services to customers throughout Africa. Regional support structures and cross-border service strategies allow customers to access the same technical expertise and similar service capabilities regardless of location. This broader African focus reflects both the growing demand for industrial modernisation and the increasing importance of reliable technical support. “Our goal is to deliver the same level of support and quality throughout Africa that customers expect from a premium global brand,” McKey says.
Looking beyond the exhibition
For SEW-EURODRIVE, Electra Mining Africa 2026 was, above all, about starting discussions. Visitors had the opportunity to discuss immediate operational challenges, future projects, modernisation opportunities and long-term business objectives. The company believes that the future of industrial growth will increasingly depend on partnerships that combine engineering expertise, technology, service and operational understanding. As mining companies and industrial operators continue to pursue greater efficiency, sustainability and productivity, SEW-EURODRIVE is positioning itself as a long-term engineering partner rather than only a supplier of drive technology, helping customers modernise operations, improve asset performance and build more resilient businesses.
“Electra Mining Africa provided an opportunity for customers to discuss not only their immediate requirements, but also their future operational objectives,” McKey concludes. “Our role is to help customers improve the performance of their businesses by delivering solutions that create value throughout the entire lifecycle of their assets.”
| Tel: | +27 11 248 7000 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.sew-eurodrive.co.za |
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