Barloworld clocks 20 years, cherishes investment in Malawi

Barloworld Equipment Malawi, a subsidiary of Barloworld Limited, a multinational brand distribution company, has clocked 20 years since its inception in the country with a promise to enhance its service delivery.

The firm’s executive director for strategy, risk and sustainability, Lesibana Ledwaba, has described Malawi as one of the countries dominated by big mining fleets requiring parts and service support.

“Barloworld Equipment Malawi believes in eight values; safety, uncompromising customer service, long-term customer relationships, passion for our brands, professionalism, effective communication and winning through teamwork.

“So, in Malawi, we looked at what the country needed and where else we could add value. We focused on our integrated rental, used and new equipment. We have also seen great opportunities not only for electric power solutions, but also marine power solutions onto Lake Malawi,” he said in an interview last week.

Ledwaba said in the past 20 years, the company has supplied more than 250 Cat earth-moving machines, 300 generators and 50 Hyster forklifts into the Malawian market.

He said their brand has grown steadily into a trusted partner for many public and private sector customers and has established a strong geographic footprint throughout the country to serve customers.

“We are proud to have been associated with many of the contractors who have built Malawi’s infrastructure,” he said, citing roads, bridges and railway lines.

Ledwaba said the company pioneered HIV and Aids management in the workplace in Malawi when it introduced workplace policy in 2003.

Over the years, more than 30 earth-moving mechanics have graduated from the company’s learnership programme and recently, have trained over 100 operators on forklifts and earth-moving machines.

“Our training facility in Blantyre continues to provide scarce and essential skills and we are very proud of this capability,” said Ledwaba.

Deputy mayor of the City of Blantyre Wild Ndipo has hailed Barloworld for clocking 20 years in Malawi and also for its corporate social responsibility in partnering with local contracting companies as well as providing graders to Plant Vehicle Hire Organisation (PVHO), a government-owned plant and equipment hiring agency.