Wacker Neuson South Africa has expanded its footprint in East Africa following the appointment of TATA International as its dealer in Tanzania.
Africa’s population is growing rapidly, increasing from around 811 million to just over 1.46 billion between 2000 and 2023, and an above 2% annual growth rate recorded in the majority of the continent’s countries.
“With population growth a primary driver of construction and agriculture, these segments, which are two of our primary markets, subsequently hold boundless potential,” says Dennis Vietze, MD of Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa.
“We developed an Africa growth strategy with the objective of making Wacker Neuson’s range of compact machines and equipment available to construction and agricultural customers on this vast continent to meet their expanding needs. The onboarding of TATA International as a Wacker Neuson dealer in Tanzania earlier this year has secured a strong foothold for us on Africa’s East Coast, presenting advantages for both partners.”
As a well-established dealer for a prominent agricultural group in several African countries, TATA International opened an office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in July 2023 to market and service the group’s agricultural and construction equipment. The head office is supported by three branches located in Northern Tanzania – Mwanza, a port city on the shore of Lake Victoria, the city of Arusha, and Mafinga town. With further support from sister companies in Zambia and Malawi, TATA International is well-appointed to service customers across a wide region that also extends into Rwanda.
“While agriculture is our primary market, we have also identified good growth potential in the roads and rail segments where Wacker Neuson’s compact equipment presents a perfect fit,” says David Kelder, head of Agriculture and Construction Business at Tata International Africa, who signed the dealership agreement with Dennis Vietze earlier this year.
TATA International will supply internal and external vibrators, rammers, single and reversible plate compactors, pedestrian and ride-on rollers, breakers, saws, generators, light towers, clearwater and trash pumps from Wacker Neuson. Excavators, dumpers, telehandlers, and all wheel steer loaders will be added at a later stage. “Zero-emission, battery-powered products are part of the long-term plan; we will be ready to supply when the markets demand this technology,” adds Kelder.
“The many advantages coupled with being part of Wacker Neuson’s extensive dealer network give us confidence that we will secure good business and see successful growth across the region, particularly in the construction sector,” comments Johnny Fourie, country manager, TATA International, Tanzania.
“As a Wacker Neuson dealership, we can offer customers a convenient one-stop-shop experience – from a wide range of products to a full service and after-sales portfolio. There is also the added value of being able to expand our Wacker Neuson equipment range to meet the region’s growing and changing demands.”
All four of TATA International’s Tanzanian offices house workshops. “With our team of trained technicians, we have the necessary infrastructure and skilled resources to professionally and efficiently service and maintain customers’ Wacker Neuson equipment,” confirms Fourie.
Wacker Neuson South Africa’s key account manager: Agriculture, John Ramshaw, travelled to Dar es Salaam to provide introductory sales, technical, maintenance and basic operator training to the TATA International team. “Wacker Neuson has established a reputation for delivering excellent customer service,” says Vietze. “The training of our dealers is therefore essential to develop knowledgeable, skilled teams who are equipped to mirror our high levels of service delivery. We therefore tasked John, as one of our most experienced trainers, to share his valuable knowledge with the team from TATA International.”
“It has been reported that Dar es Salaam is heading for megacity status and that the region is growing three times faster than the global average. This bodes extremely well, particularly for the construction and agricultural sectors and we believe that the availability of our technologically advanced equipment through TATA International will assist customers to exploit this rapid development,” notes Vietze. “We welcome TATA International to our dealer family and are most confident of a mutually successful partnership.”
