Pepperl+Fuchs celebrates a decade in Africa
Pepperl+Fuchs is well-known by customers around the world as a pioneer and innovator in Industrial Sensors and Explosion Protection. Founded by Walter Pepperl and Ludwig Fuchs in 1945, the company has grown to more than 80 subsidiaries globally with the South African operation having been added to that list a decade ago as part of a long-term strategy in Africa.
“When we opened our doors 10 years ago,” says Marc Van Pelt, MD of Pepperl+Fuchs South Africa, “our aim was to forge closer links within our network in Africa in order to be nearer to our customers to provide an even better service. Just as our founders almost 80 years ago strongly cared about their customers, so do we. We are proud of our company’s heritage and legacy of consistent achievement, innovation and the close relations that have been built with our customers.”
In addition to servicing customers in South Africa, Pepperl+Fuchs has established distributors in Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa with gravity centers in South Africa and Morocco. From day one, they supplied Industrial Sensors and Explosion Protection equipment to a wide range of industries, such as Automotive, Mining, Oil & Gas, ect.
Their significant growth in Africa in both numbers, and local presence and support, is testimony to their success. “Our view a decade ago,” continues Van Pelt, “was that the African continent, considering all global continents, was the ‘last giant waking up’. Although this giant has been waking up in a more complex and slower way, we believed at the time, and still do today, that it’s one of the new economic powerhouses of the future. Pepperl+Fuchs chose to be part of that process by developing a foot on the ground in South Africa.
“With the population in Africa expected to surpass two billion people by 2050, there’s a vast untapped market for various goods and services. Africa is a crucial supplier of natural resources needed to develop the global economy further, especially when one considers how much in the way of metals and minerals, and oil gas is used in today’s manufacturing processes to produce consumer goods. Let’s not forget the growing potential in agriculture linked to population growth and in regard to renewable energy, Africa has enormous wind and solar energy potential. Via transformation towards green hydrogen and green ammonia, that energy potential can be exported to other parts of the world where there’s a need for more energy. As the world is evolving into an ‘all-electric society’, Africa will play a vital role as a provider of clean and renewable energy resources in the future.”
Pepperl+Fuchs believes that rapid technology adoption in various industries, presents an opportunity for innovation and optimised customer efficiency such as our Enterprise Mobility range. “Automation is key to all the aforementioned elements and because Your Automation is Our Passion, we chose to be part of this enormous endeavour,” says Van Pelt.
As far as value added to the South African economy, Pepperl+Fuchs is proud to be sponsoring students who are pursuing a career in engineering. In addition, the company’s participation in Africa’s diversity and inclusion is helping to create a culture in which every unique person feels respected and valued so they are fully engaged and thrive because they feel they belong
As Pepperl+Fuchs celebrates 10 years in Africa, the company extends its gratitude to its employees, corporate management and customers for their loyalty and support and looks forward to the next decade of further success as it strives to assist companies across Africa with solutions that will take their businesses to the next level.
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