Petroleum products supplier Astron Energy has marked the rebrand of its one-hundreth service station in South Africa as part of the company’s mammoth project to rebrand its network from Caltex to Astron Energy.

The latest service station to have been rebranded is Astron Energy Greenways in Strand, in the Western Cape. 

Astron Energy is set to reach over 200 sites by the end of this year. This will place the new Astron Energy-branded service station footprint ahead of several other smaller fuel brands that have been around for longer. 

“We are very pleased with our progress so far, which has seen a healthy mix of highway, metro and rural sites being rebranded as we introduce the Astron Energy brand to the country and the consumer public,” says Astron Energy CEO Thabiet Booley.

Astron Energy launched the project to rebrand over 850 Caltex service stations in August last year. The rebrand from Caltex to Astron Energy is the largest change in the South African fuel industry in three decades, states the company.

According to Astron Energy, the rebrand project is catching the attention of consumers, stakeholders and the broader public as more and more retail sites are rebranded in the company’s vibrant new and easily recognisable orange and purple corporate colours.

“We have received a huge amount of interest, not only from the public, but also from potential investors and retailers who see the huge potential in something fresh, exciting and rewarding to the market,” Booley adds.

Astron Energy Devon Place, on the R304 just outside Stellenbosch, is one of the company’s more recently branded sites in the Western Cape and is also being refurbished with a new Spar complex.

“The new brand really stands out from the rest of the market and elevates our site in terms of freshness and the promise of what is on offer,” says Astron Energy retailer Chris Janeke.

Astron Energy retail sales and marketing GM Farouk Farista says there was tangible excitement and interest on the ground every time a site was rebranded.

“We are doing this site by site, and almost weekly introducing our new brand and offerings to customers, including our exciting instant rewards programme, to a new audience and communities around the country. 

“It is fresh. It is exciting. We are painting the landscape with vibrant orange and purple,” Farista enthuses.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have undergone the rebrand to Astron Energy. Our employees and customers have all remarked on the vibrancy that the new brand brings,” says Astron Energy retailer Louis Schlebusch, who runs the Astron Energy Cambridge site in Gauteng.

“Our regular customers love the new look and feel and we have so many motorists driving onto the forecourt for the first time saying they want to come and experience this new brand.”

Astron Energy rebrand programme manager Jonathan Mervis states that “a project of this magnitude simply does not happen every day and we are talking over 850 service stations spread across an enormous geographic area. 

“Safety is our first priority given the size and complexity of the project. Each site is different and involves different complexities and considerations which are all being factored in as part of our planning and sequencing process.” 

Booley concludes by saying the rebrand project “speaks to our commitment to our people, partners, communities, and our retail network”.