ON THE COVER In today’s competitive construction environment, equipment buyers can no longer justify decisions based on upfront purchase price alone. Success on site is increasingly driven by total cost of ownership - a balanced combination of acquisition cost, uptime, productivity, operating efficiency, support, and long-term asset value.Hitachi’s medium excavator range, spanning machines from roughly 13 to 35 tonnes operating weight, is engineered to deliver this advantage across a breadth of construction applications, from earthworks and infrastructure to utilities, landscaping, and heavy-duty material handling.
Isuzu’s solution-led approach in South Africa’s MCV market
Juanita Pienaar spoke with Mpho Nkhumeleni, Department Executive: CV Sales at Isuzu, about the brand’s position in South Africa’s medium commercial vehicle (MCV) market, the trends shaping demand, and how its flagship NPR 400 is helping operators drive productivity while keeping costs tightly controlled.
When margins are under pressure and uptime is non-negotiable, the MCV segment remains a critical enabler of commerce. From urban deliveries to regional logistics, these vehicles form the backbone of countless operations. Against this backdrop, Isuzu continues to position itself as a partner in profitability rather than simply a truck supplier.
UD Trucks is engineering reliability for Southern Africa
Capital Equipment News spoke with Filip Van den Heede, Managing Director of UD Trucks Southern Africa; Esaia Taunyane, Sales Director; and Sanjay Naipal, Aftermarket Director, to unpack how the brand is approaching uptime, safety, and long-term value in a challenging operating environment.
In Southern Africa’s commercial transport sector, the true cost of ownership is rarely confined to a price tag on a purchase order. Vehicle downtime, security risks, fuel theft, long border delays, and uneven service coverage all exert a far greater influence on a fleet’s profitability than many operators initially anticipate. For UD Trucks Southern Africa, these realities have shaped a strategy that places uptime, reliability, and network strength at the centre of its value proposition.
Kal Tire - Strategic tyre management for Southern Africa’s mines
Juanita Pienaar spoke to John Martin, Vice President, Southern Africa, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, about the company’s growing footprint in Southern Africa, its strategic approach to tyre management, and the innovations reshaping uptime and sustainability across mine sites.
Kal Tire’s presence on the African continent stretches back nearly two decades. “Kal Tire has been operating on the African continent since 2007,” explains Martin, “where we currently have a business presence in eight countries, with four being in West Africa and four in Southern Africa.”
Within Southern Africa, the company’s operational focus centres on Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa, with “a small presence at this time, in Mozambique.” From these hubs, Kal Tire supports a broad network of operations. “We have more than 1 100 team members across the region serving more than 80 mine sites across all commodities, covering both surface and underground operations.
