The Bosch Group is strengthening its business in Africa and further expanding its industrial technology portfolio on the continent. Effective February 28, 2018, Bosch Rexroth AG acquired all shares in Hytec Holdings (Pty.) Ltd., Johannesburg, South Africa.
In one major project, Bosch and Hytec renewed the entire hydraulic equipment of the Roseires Dam in Sudan. This includes seven deep sluice gate cylinders. Each cylinder weighs 13 t.
Hytec specialises in the marketing of hydraulic and automation solutions, and is the leading company in the field in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, the company and its roughly 770 associates generated sales of some €86-million. Hytec has about 40 branch operations, not only in South Africa, but also in Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Ghana and Kenya. In a first phase, Bosch Rexroth acquired a 50% stake in its marketing partner Hytec in 2014.
“For Bosch, Africa has a lot of potential as a strategic market of the future,” says Uwe Raschke, the Bosch management board member responsible for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. “In the years ahead, we want to significantly increase our sales in Africa,” Raschke adds.
Considerable opportunities are offered by the heavy investments being made in infrastructure projects in areas such as construction and power generation. “Together with Hytec, we can take better advantage of the market opportunities in the African growth industries,” says Rolf Najork, MD of Bosch Rexroth. The region is characterised by a lot of end-user business, such as servicing and spare parts for users of machinery. With its new subsidiary, Bosch Rexroth hopes to further expand this business.
Hytec has a well-established marketing network in sub-Saharan Africa, and its associates are well familiarised with what local customers want. “We are combining this high level of regional marketing knowledge with Bosch Rexroth’s product expertise and technological prowess. This will be a significant boost to our business on the continent,” Najork says.
Hytec will continue to market the products of other manufacturers. Its portfolio includes roughly 30 brands. It will also continue to do business as Hytec, since this is a strong, well-known brand in southern Africa. The same applies to the Hytec subsidiaries TECTRA, HAW, HFT, HYSA, Hytec Engineering and HSA.
