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trailer world issue Three 2009

Issue Three 2009 27 Rubrik proximately 350,000 rolling units. The glo- bal financial crisis has also reached South Africa, with the incoming order volume having dropped by some 40 percent across the industry. The almost 150,000 trailers and semi-trailers that can be seen on the roads of the nation that will be hosting the FIFA World Cup 2010, however, require durable solutions. The fact that BPW ranks as the number two axle manufacturer behind a domestic manufacturer of axles and trailers is viewed by Cilliers as proof that customers also regard his products as having premium quality. Derek Reinhardt, who, with 26 years of experience, has climbed his way to the top in the private freight forwarding business, takes a very practical approach to “German top quality”: “We already looked at what is currently offered.” For 50-year old trans- port giant Reinhardt, one thing is certain: “BPW makes the best axles money can buy!” Nothing else is considered, swears the passio- nate big game hunter, whose office is decorat- ed with the prepared head and forequarters of a fallen buffalo (“...was a tough fellow!”). With the sincere, direct compliment still on his lips, he climbs into his private helicopter and rushes off to the other end of the vast country to troubleshoot a problem in one of his three subsidiaries. Sometimes you need to try something different to appreciate what you had before. And, in the case of Andre Cilliers of BPW in South Africa, patience must be demon- strated, one of the defining characteristics of an experienced top manager. In the end, he knows that they will come back and ne- ver entertain the notion of going elsewhere again! (owi) Portrait South Africa is located at the south- ernmost tip of the African continent and is approximately three and a half times the size of Germany. The multicultural “rainbow nation” is home to 45 million people, approximately 80 percent of whom are black Africans. The remaining 20 percent comprise Asians, Arabs and white settlers. There are eleven official national languages, the most widely spoken of which are Afrikaans, English and Zulu. South Africa is especially known for its diversity of wild animals. National problem: health The average lifespan in South Africa is only 43 years and is a direct result of the main problem the poor are currently faced with: the devastatingly fast spread of AIDS, which affects approximately 12 percent of the overall population. Although Apartheid politics were abol- ished at the beginning of the 1990s, the conflict between the social classes is ever-present. According to unofficial un- employment estimates, some 35 percent of the population is without work. Abundance of raw materi- als With a wealth of natural resources, including chrome ore, coal, platinum, gold and diamonds, South Africa is regarded as an indus- trial nation blessed with raw materials. Vehicle production plays a key role in driving the economy – almost every car and truck manufacturer runs an as- sembly or production factory here to support the domestic market and export business. Trucks plying the extensive network of national roads are the pri- mary form of transport for local indus- try. Also, the import of raw materials from neighbouring countries to the large international ports of Durban, Richards Bay and Port Elizabeth on the Indian Ocean is handled over the road. Mega trucks Interlink trucks pulling two double-axled trailers are a frequent sight on the road and are a very common configuration for hauling heavy loads across long distances. They can meas- ure up to 22 meters in length and weigh 56 tonnes. The speed limit for trucks, which typically reach 100 km/h, is 80 km/h on the motorway-like national roads. South Africa has also invested around 800 million Euro to further ex- pand the transport infrastructure in the nine cities where matches for the FIFA World Cup 2010 will be hosted in order to better accommodate the high volume of visitors expected. Big and bigger: A passionate big game hunt- er, Derek Reinhardt owns South Africa’s largest private transport company. Info More information on the BPW subsidiary in South Africa can be found online at www.bpw.co.za. The Reinhardt Transport website can be found at www.reinhardt.co.za South Africa – The Land at the Cape of Good Hope Photos:Willms,Illustration:Franke BOTSWANA SOUTH AFRICA NAMIBIA ZIMBABWE MOZAMBIQUE SWAZI- LAND LESOTHO Messina Polokwane Johannesburg Ladysmith Richards Bay De Aar Bloemfontein Kimberley Upington Durban Mthata East London Port Elizabeth Mossel Bay Cape Town PRETORIA

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