“We have been serving the southern African region for 35 years and this latest development is just one of a number of positive outcomes following the acquisition by Sumitomo of the global Hansen Industrial Transmissions group in 2013,” explains HTSA managing director, Fritz Fourie. He adds that the expansion of HTSA’s African footprint also forms part of the group’s global African strategy. As the acknowledged centre of excellence for mining within the group, HTSA was tasked with the responsibility of implementing the strategy.
The acquisition also provides HTSA with access to new products, including Sumitomo’s Paramax (PX9) small and medium high torque range industrial drives as well as the Seisa range which has a torque capability of above 1100 kNm. “This is a perfect fit to complement our medium to high torque Hansen I4 and P4 industrial gearboxes,” says Fourie.
HTSA, a subsidiary of Hansen Industrial Transmissions, has been a market leader in South Africa’s mining, ports, bulk materials handling, mixer and power generation industries since 1969. The company has a large installed base of industrial gearboxes operating in diverse drive applications including underground and surface conveyors, hoists, grinding and sugar mills, crushers, stackers, reclaimers, kilns, pumps mixers, aerators and wet cooling towers in a number of African countries.
Peter Pallister, HTSA’s key accounts manager for Africa says that given the current lacklustre performance of the South African market and Africa’s large industrial gearbox market, the timing of HTSA’s strategic African growth plan is perfect. “With so many new and exciting opportunities opening up, small wonder Africa is referred to as the new frontier,” he says.
According to Pallister, reliable, quality equipment is fundamental to the sustainability of mines and plants given the remoteness of some locations and poor road infrastructure. In addition to the challenge of ensuring on-time delivery, health risks (malaria and Ebola), political and economic instability, travel costs and commodity price fluctuations also need to be taken into account when doing business in Africa. Added to this is the fact that each country presents its own unique set of laws and currency. The importance of establishing business partners in the regions with local service and repair facilities is therefore apparent.
“This is fundamental to our business sustainability and forms an integral part of our African strategy,” continues Pallister. “We look for partners that are already well established in our focus areas and share our commitment to world-class products and service.” HTSA partnership agreements are already in place in Zambia and DRC (SD Mining Equipment), Botswana (Seapro), Ghana (Mining Equipment International) and Namibia (Danste). HTSA focuses only on countries with a stable economic, political and business environment. Countries that tick all these boxes are also key growth areas. Examples are Tanzania and Kenya, which are currently under consideration.
Pallister says that Mozambique is a very significant market for HTSA. The company received its largest cross border order to date from Mozambique for the supply of 20 conveyor drives. HTSA is also supplying spare industrial gearboxes, conveyor drives and spares to two ports and a colliery and enjoys a large footprint in Zambia and the DRC where it is conducting surveys on Hansen Transmissions gearboxes operating at various copper mines. In addition HTSA has installed 64 ACC gearboxes at a power station in Botswana and has also supplied equipment to gold mines in Ghana and fan drives to an oil refinery in Nigeria. He also confirms the receipt of orders directly from Namibian zinc and uranium mines.
Over the next three to five years Pallister expects to see growth in Africa’s power generation and infrastructure sectors, which will in turn stimulate growth in the coal mining and cement industries. “There is no doubt that the opportunities for growth in Africa abound and far outweigh the barriers. We have the experience, expertise and capabilities to surmount the challenges. We have a proven product in the African market and our equipment operates in every conceivable environment, from humid equatorial to dry desert conditions. Add to this the support of Sumitomo and our partners in the respective regions. In short, HTSA is the complete drives solutions partner for mining and industry on the African continent,” he concludes.
For more information contact David Main, Hansen Transmissions SA, +27 (0)11 397 2495, dmain@hig-shi.com, www.hansenindustrialgearboxes.co.za
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