BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA | January 2023
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Bridgestone Southern Africa Mining services and OTRACO
Southern Africa will join forces to accelerate mining tyre
management and mobility solutions in Southern Africa, under
one banner.
Bridgestone Southern Africa (BSAF) recently announced
that its group company Bridgestone Southern Africa
Holdings (BSAFH) has entered into an agreement to acquire
OTRACO Southern Africa, a leader in Off-The-Road (OTR)
tyre management solutions. This acquisition will accelerate
the growth of Bridgestone SA’s mining solutions business
and expand the company’s service network. The acquisition
was completed in December 2022 and André Bode will
continue as Managing Director of OTRACO, reporting to
Jacques Fourie (Vice President of Bridgestone Middle East &
Africa).
As part of Bridgestone’s initiative to improve mobility
solutions and tyre-centric services across all market segments,
the company identified a need in the mining market for
specific mining services and enhancements. “The acquisition of
OTRACO, with their strength in tyre management systems, is an
exciting milestone in our history and presents a new oppor-
tunity to extend our mobility solution offerings to the market.
Together Bridgestone and OTRACO have market leading mining
tyre management and mobility solutions,” says Jacques Fourie,
CEO of Bridgestone Southern Africa.
Going forward, Bridgestone SA will go to market under the
OTRACO banner. “Bridgestone and OTRACO are proud to join
forces, under the OTRACO banner, to offer industry leading
mobility solutions and mining tyre management services to
our valued customers,” says Carl Martins Bridgestone’s Mining
Services Executive Manager. BFA
Bridgestone Southern Africa to
acquire OTRACO Southern Africa
Local automotive intelligence has found
that criminals are now using sophisti-
cated technology to target high-end
and luxury vehicles featuring keyless or
smart entry systems and emergency
start capabilities.
This phenomenon affects automotive
brands across the board, Toyota South
Africa Motors (TSAM) confirms that
it has been proactively conducting
extensive research and development to
enhance its vehicle security systems.
Senior Vice President of Sales and
Marketing at TSAM, Leon Theron
says: “At Toyota, we are committed
to continue with our research and
development to further enhance
our vehicle security systems. I would
also like to add that vehicle owners
will not negate the warranty on their
vehicles should they elect to fit an
aftermarket security device, if these
are installed correctly by a reputable
fitment centre”. BFA
Toyota announces
enhancements to vehicle security