From the mountainous kingdom of Swaziland right up to Kenya on the east coast, from the sands of Namibia up to war-torn DRC and Congo on the west, Goodyear tyres are rolling across sub-Saharan Africa.

Goodyear’s footprint is one of the most comprehensive of all tyre manufacturers on the continent. It operates in countries and cultures so diverse – and some so volatile – that each requires focused attention in order to satisfy product requirements and nurture the market. For this reason, Goodyear has strategically grouped its sub-Saharan customers into clusters, based mostly on their proximity to one another, managed by a dedicated team and led by a cluster director.

South-west Cluster

The African customers closest, and in many ways most similar, to the South African market, are those in the south-west Africa cluster –Namibia, Angola and Botswana. The team is led by Rolf Röhrmuller and includes regional managers Carel  van der Merwe (Angola), BalangOokeditseBalang (Botswana) and David Phuthego (Botswana); finance managers Taps Maikokera (Botswana) and Jeff Luck (Namibia); and area sales managers Gerrie Barnard, Piet Lourens, Eugene Walters and Trevor Britten. This cluster’s head office is in Windhoek.

• Namibia has the strongest footprint of the three, with 17 retail branches, 6 on sites (mining) operations, 3 warehouses and 1 inbound store.
• Angola has 6 retail branches and 2 warehouses.
• Botswana has 8 retail branches, 6 on sites and 1 warehouse.

Angola
“Of the three, Angola offers Goodyear the biggest growth opportunity. With a population of 18.5 million, the potential market is double that of Namibia or Botswana. Goodyear hopes to make solid inroads, engaging here with third parties, independents and wholesalers. Finding appropriate business partners is key to our success in Angola,” Röhrmuller explained.

“Trentyre Angola recently opened two new retail branches, in Luanda and Huambo. We have also appointed four more third-party and independent agents, and are already seeing returns on this extended network in the market. We are also looking into the viability of a retread factory for commercial tyres.

“The biggest challenge in Angola remains that of corporate governance. It is very important to us that business is conducted in an ethical way, the Goodyear way, and we strive to lead with integrity.”

Namibia
Röhrmuller said the key drive in Namibia was, similarly, for Goodyear to secure reputable third-party agents, especially in the north, which holds half the population.

“We have three branches in the north, but have not yet established a presence in the little outer lying towns, which are a potential market. In Namibia, we definitely foresee a bigger share of market. Our ‘Operation Nam Consumer’ and ‘Operation Nam Commercial’ programmes are bearing fruit, and our emphasis is on unit sales. Our marketing programmes in Namibia are aligned with Goodyear’s message of Safety Together, so we participate in safety campaigns and work with government in improving road safety.”

Botswana
In Botswana, Goodyear’s drive is to strengthen relationships with agents and independents to build share of market. As in Namibia, marketing strategies here also focus on safety campaigns.

“Our mining customers, in particular, like to see our proactive involvement in safety. Trentyre’s QSMA system is a strong marketing tool and has helped boost our share of the mining market. We have developed strong relationships with the mines and make sure we protect this existing customer base.

“This year we are rebuilding our premises in Gaborone, which burnt down last year, and we will make the most of our opening in August. Our retread factory will be behind the store, which will get excellent exposure thanks to our position along a busy highway.”