Varispeed is a proudly South African company and is part of the JSE listed Hudaco Trading group of companies. Varispeed was founded in 1984 and is a specialist partner in electronic motor control and automation solutions to many local manufacturers and end users in a diverse range of market segments.
Ralph Real.
Ralph Real, managing director at Varispeed South Africa, knows only too well the challenges facing business in the current economic climate. South Africans are generally resilient and always find the good, the humorous and the optimistic side of every situation. Although 2019 had some great nation building moments with the Rugby World Cup and Ms Universe wins, it was a trying year for many sectors in the economy.
“Superior value, tough competition and strong differentiation were critical factors for Varispeed South Africa,” says Real. “Customers require real value at competitive prices. The market is constantly changing and remaining dynamic, resilient and agile whilst exceeding our customers’ expectations are key factors to our ongoing success.”
Moving forward into 2020, Real believes that stability and reliability of state-owned service delivery will force businesses to adapt in order to remain viable and competitive: “2020 will be a challenging year as the market struggles to recover. In addition, we need to factor in our ongoing electricity crisis and the negative impact that this has on productivity, job creation and our competitiveness both locally and abroad.”
Increasing international focus on climate change and the overwhelming evidence of the urgent need for reforms in this area will spill into local business to provide energy efficient and sustainable solutions. Environmental groups will become more involved and these factors will become part of key performance indicators. Business will be held accountable for its part in climate change and it will be more and more pronounced in business agreements.
“We only need to look at the recent pressure placed on one of our competitors and the Adani Mining project by activists to realise that we can expect an increased level of scrutiny around climate change,” concludes Real. “Varispeed’s success in 2020 will be largely underpinned by our proven alternative energy and energy efficient solutions. We are also focusing more of our efforts on the mining and manufacturing sectors in the sub-Saharan region, as we have real value assist in these areas. Product reliability, performance and dependable expert service is what sets us apart. Varispeed remains close to the market and will continue to adapt and develop according to customer requirements to ensure that all objectives are met.”
RS South Africa shapes future engineering talent RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa is demonstrating that nurturing future engineers goes beyond traditional classrooms or competitions. On STEM Day, the company shone a light on the full spectrum of its educational initiatives.
Read more...UKZN’s SMART lab wins aviation award
News
: The SMART Lab at UKZN was awarded first place in the Aviation Research and Development category at the Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa’s award ceremony for outstanding contributions and achievements in the aviation sector.
Read more...Meta and partners announce completion of 2Africa subsea cable system
News
Meta, in partnership with leading global and regional telecommunications companies, has announced the completion and activation of the core 2Africa subsea cable system. This marks a historic milestone in digital infrastructure, establishing what the world’s longest open-access subsea cable system.
Read more...SEW-EURODRIVE unveils world class facility in Gqeberha
News
In a landmark event in the Eastern Cape attended by key customers and industry leaders, SEW-EURODRIVE officially opened its expanded state-of-the-art facility in Gqeberha, marking a major milestone in its strategy to strengthen regional support and deepen its footprint in the region.
Read more...Africa’s brightest young battery innovators Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric and Enactus, the international NGO dedicated to inspiring students through entrepreneurial action, have announced the winners of the 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge, funded by the Schneider Electric Foundation. It empowers young innovators to design battery solutions addressing the region’s most pressing energy challenges.
Read more...The road to the Indaba
News
The Africa Automation Indaba 2026 is set to become a landmark gathering for Africa’s automation, process control and manufacturing community. SA Instrumentation and Control will be running a dedicated editorial series spotlighting the voices, ideas and debates shaping Africa’s industrial future.
Read more...Crash reconstruction tests advance vehicle safety research
News
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Scientific Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Technologies (SMART) Lab recently participated in a series of collaborative crash reconstruction tests held at the Toyota Test Track.
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.