As part of its strategy to “close the loop” in its service offering, drive and control technologies specialist SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa has broken ground on a new 17 000 m2 Service and Repair Centre. The establishment of the state-of-the-art facility plugs the gap for expert repair services for gearboxes in Africa.

Having moved into its contemporary 26 000 m2 headquarters complex in Aeroton, Johannesburg, in early 2022, which represented Phase 1 of its investment drive in South Africa, SEW-EURODRIVE has commenced Phase 2 of its local expansion drive. Following the turning of the first sod on September 2, 2024, groundworks started the following week with completion of the project expected by November 2025 and occupation in early 2026.

Having invested R500-million in the new headquarters complex a few years ago, the R384-million investment in a new Service and Repair Centre right next to the head office signals SEW-EURODRIVE’s commitment to servicing customers in Africa and reflects the company’s confidence in the future of South Africa and the African continent in general.

The new facility, to be built on a 27 935 m2 site area with 17 000 m2 under roof, represents the company’s largest investment post the Covid-19 pandemic, says SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa MD Raymond Obermeyer. It also forms part of SEW-EURODRIVE’s €1-billion investment in the expansion of its service capabilities in various markets across the world in 2024 alone.

Commenting on the reasoning behind this significant investment, Obermeyer explains that as a market leader in planetary gearboxes with over 40 years of trading in South Africa, SEW-EURODRIVE recognises the need to enhance its capabilities to service and repair millions of units in the region.

“Currently, our competitors in the gearbox market primarily focus on selling equipment with a limited offering of the necessary repair and support services,” says Obermeyer. “This gap presents a significant opportunity for SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa to not only service our own products but also to repair competitors’ equipment, thereby increasing our market share and fostering sustainable growth.”

The new facility’s workshop will offer full service and repair capabilities such as sand blasting, spray painting and stripping of products. It will also contain a fabrication section to manufacture baseplates, guards and steelworks.

In addition, it will have a full motor repair department for motor rewinding, as well as offering assembly and repairs with burnout ovens and rotor balancing. This will be complemented by state-of-the art load test facilities.

Moreover, a storage facility and a fully operational 30-bay assembly area will give SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa the capacity to assemble in excess of 300 repaired units a month.

Obermeyer expects the new facility to create 80 to 100 job opportunities, adding to the 100 created as a result of the Phase 1 expansion. However, he notes that these opportunities will be for highly sought after skills which are often in short supply. To bridge the technical skills gap, the new Service and Repair Centre will house a larger DriveAcademy, significantly upgrading the current 1 500 m2 training facility located at the headquarters’ complex. This will be complemented by SEW-EURODRIVE’s information technology centre.

“The establishment of the new Service and Repair Centre is a strategic move to enhance our service offering, address market gaps and strengthen our position as the leading gearbox OEM in South Africa. This investment not only secures our legacy but also paves the way for future growth and innovation,” concludes Obermeyer.