Mahindra has opened its fourth business in South Africa.

The India-based conglomerate will now add farming equipment to its product line-up in the domestic market, along with vehicles, generators and construction equipment.

Mahindra offers its tractor-loader-backhoes under the Mahindra EarthMaster brand and its industrial diesel-powered generators under the Powerol brand. Mahindra vehicles are sold under the parent company badge.

Mahindra South Africa (MSA) will now offer an entire range of farm equipment, including Mahindra tractors and implements, Sampo combines and Hisarlar implements, sourced from India, Turkey and Finland, respectively.

“We have embraced South Africa as our home outside India,” says Mahindra & Mahindra international operations chief Arvind Mathew.

“[We] have already established a strong presence in the automotive business and have seen initial success in generators and construction equipment businesses.

“We feel this is the right time for us to introduce our wide range of farm solutions here.”

Mahindra is the world's largest tractor manufacturer by volume.

“Many of our models are designed for markets that demand tough and efficient solutions, which are also effortless to operate in harsh conditions,” notes MSA CEO Rajesh Gupta.

“Our initial market study shows that these attributes are in high demand in South Africa as well and we trust that it will find favour with our customers.”

Gupta says South African farmers have been firm supporters of the Mahindra brand.

“They have been using our bakkies on various applications and this has motivated us to widen our product offering to the farming community.”

Mahindra has partnered with MB Plant SA (MBSA) to use its network of urban and rural sales and service outlets.

MBSA is a division of the international MB AfroAsia Group. MB AfroAsia Group is a multinational corporation with operations and subsidiaries in more than 20 countries.

The group started operations in 1982 and has diversified business interests, including engineering, manufacturing, trading, mining and the processing of minerals.

“We entered South Africa in 2013 and are delighted to partner with the world's largest tractor manufacturing company,” says MB AfroAsia Group CEO Glenn Franklin DeSilva.

“We will have a presence in four provinces at the time of launch and will expand [to the rest of] South Africa, by March 2020.”

Most of the farming equipment range will be available in South Africa by the end of May.

Mahindra 6000 and 7500 Tractors
Mahindra’s range of tractors include two models in the 7500 series and three in the 6000 series.

The range stretches from the 40 kW Mahindra 6060 to the Mahindra 7590, with its 70 kW diesel engine.

A luxury cab model with power shift transmission is undergoing homologation and will join the product range soon.

Rounding off Mahindra’s range of agricultural products is a wide range of implements for every step of the crop cycle.

These include tilling equipment (heavy chisels, ploughs, harrows, rotary tillers and power harrows); seeders and planters; fertilisers, spreaders and applicators; post-harvest equipment (mulchers and shredders), as well as hay equipment (rakes, small square bailers and silage bailers).

The Sampo Rosenlew combine harvester is expected to join the range soon.