The strengthened presence of WEG in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through its strategic alliance with Panaco, its Value-Added Reseller (VAR), is proving highly successful. The company's established operations in the key mining centres of Lubumbashi and Kolwezi ensure efficient stockholdings, offering the market easy access to WEG products. This significantly reduces lead times for complete motors and drives, as well as spare parts in case of breakdowns.
The strategic alliance between WEG and its DRC VAR, Panaco, is proving successful in meeting growing market demand.
Thierry Kakese, WEG’s Regional Manager - Central Africa, attributes this success to the alignment of business models between the two companies. “As a major player, WEG has long been dedicated to establishing and nurturing a robust VAR partner network in the Central African region, ensuring sustainable growth and expanding our installed base of products and solutions,” he says.
Panaco was appointed as WEG's VAR in the DRC four years ago and plays a key role in the region. The company was one of the first electrical subcontractors operating in that country and today, with more than 40 years’ experience, Panaco has the experience and capability to meet the escalating demand for WEG motors, drives and other products in the DRC.
As well as serving the mining sector, Panaco and WEG serve other industries such as power and water utilities and the cement industry. Kakese emphasises that partnering with Panaco facilitates market feedback which is essential in enabling WEG to make informed decisions and maintain its position as a leading provider of electrical products and solutions in the region.
Recognising the significance of the DRC and the Copperbelt region, WEG's team, in collaboration with Panaco, regularly visits end user operations to understand specific challenges and requirements.
Financial Operations Director at Panaco, Khalid Patel says that to support the growing installed base and increased demand in the DRC, Panaco and WEG will establish a support centre in the Katanga province. At this facility they will conduct technical assessments, offer local maintenance and repair services for low voltage drives, and enhance overall support for their customers.
In Patel’s view, the continuing success of the WEG and Panaco partnership stems from their shared technical expertise. He says, “Ongoing support is provided via the South Africa-based WEG operation and this is bolstered by comprehensive training for our sales and technical teams.” Training sessions take place in the DRC and at the WEG drives training centre in Johannesburg, enabling Panaco to deliver excellent customer service.
Kakese highlights an increasing demand for motor and drive combinations in the DRC and neighbouring regions. “This is in part due to WEG's extended warranty but is primarily because of the superior performance and compatibility offered by correctly matched motor and drive combinations,” he says. “End users who have embraced this approach gain improved reliability and better performance.
“Furthermore, the energy-saving benefits of WEG's IE3 and IE4 motors make them highly sought after, as major miners strive to reduce energy consumption and operating costs.”
WEG transformers are also seeing increasing demand in the region. The transformers are manufactured in South Africa, with capacities of up to 40 MVA. Kakese highlights the logistical advantages of sourcing such equipment from South Africa instead of from overseas. The close collaboration between the support teams in South Africa and Panaco ensures that transformers are precisely specified to meet technical application requirements, guaranteeing reliability and optimal performance.
Additionally, with the increasing demand for power in the DRC, particularly in the mining and other industry sectors, Panaco has decided to augment its product offering by also stocking generator sets. “Initially, the market is expected to favour standard WEG gensets, manufactured in South Africa with convenient logistics. However, this expansion also opens doors to supply custom-engineered gensets tailored to specific applications,” Patel says.
“Our strategic partnership in the DRC has yielded valuable results, and we look forward to increasing the installed base of WEG products further and expanding the level of sales and aftermarket support we offer to our customers,” Patel says. “The shared business vision, technical expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction have paved the way for sustainable growth and the provision of premium products that enhance reliability, performance, and cost-effectiveness for end users in the region.”
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