Kanu Team SA celebrates a positive close to the year…
All 35 staff at the SA branch were treated to a fun-filled end-year lunch in celebration of a positive close to a difficult year. The management and executive teams thanked the staff for their hard work, dedication and resiliency and are optimistic about entering the new year and making even greater strides in capturing the local spares market.
What’s Humming…
We are delighted to announce that Twan Bell has joined Kanu Equipment as our new Group Head of Spares and General Manager of the South African branch.
Twan has a successful history in optimising operations and has been in the spares and OEM game for over
20 years. Twan brings a lot of passion and energy to the Kanu Team and is driving spares sales across the group and ensuring the continuity of supply with our OEM’s.
We wish Twan every success on her journey with us.
Manitou Dealership rights awarded to Botswana
Congratulations to Kanu Equipment Botswana for being awarded the MANITOU Dealership rights.
Normet Dealership rights awarded to Botswana
Congratulations to Kanu Equipment Botswana for being awarded the NORMET Dealership rights.
Normet Dealership rights awarded to Namibia
Congratulations to Kanu Equipment Namibia for being awarded the NORMET Dealership rights.
Normet Dealership rights awarded to Ghana
Congratulations to Kanu Equipment Ghana for being awarded the NORMET Dealership rights.
Normet Dealership rights awarded to Tanzania
Congratulations to Kanu Equipment Tanzania for being awarded the NORMET Dealership rights.
Normet Dealership rights awarded to DRC
Congratulations to Kanu Equipment DRC for being awarded the NORMET Dealership rights.
Experience the Support!
These are our three R9350 working in tandem at the bottom of the richest diamond mine in the world!
Kanu Equipment Namibia hard at work!
Our Namibian team hard at work on a R9250, 22000 Electrical Mid life at B2Gold in Namibia.
Liebherr wins two Design Awards for their Earthmoving machines!
Article published on Highways Today.
Liebherr has received the 2018 German Design Award in the “Excellent Product Design” category for its T46-7 telescopic handler and its XPower® L 550 to L 586 wheel loaders. The expert judges were impressed by the optimal visibility and the dynamic appearance of the telescopic handler, as well as the intelligent and functional design of the XPower wheel loaders. The German Design Award is one of the most highly recognised design competitions worldwide.
Diamond Minds Award Ceremony
Kanu Equipment celebrated the success another financial year at their Annual Awards Ceremony, held on the 11th of July 2018, at Elephant Hills, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Focus on Tanzania
Article published in Tanzania in Focus, April 2018.
The Managing Director of Kanu Equipment Tanzania, Mr Russell Cleminshaw, in an interview with Krest Publications, explained the company’s strategy to assist steady growth in Tanzania’s vast agriculture sector.
Phatisa Raises Us$20m of Expansion Capital with Adenia
‘Phatisa has been an active and dynamic investor that shares Kanu’s vision of becoming a truly pan-African equipment dealer. As the business continues to evolve, the additional capital will enable the business to deliver this vision,’commented Stephen Smithyman, Chief Executive Officer – Kanu.
Supporting Africa’s mining industry
Article published in African Review, January 2017.
On the mining side, Kanu works closely with Liebherr and Bell Equipment, , and in other markets with Wirtgen on the road building side. Mining has likewise played a strong role in Kanu’s growth story. “We’re the largest independent Liebherr mining dealer in Africa. “It’s a cutting edge product, so we’ve got some large customers in places like Botswana and Namibia, where we are very proud to represent them.”
Kanu Equipment: Hard Work Pays Off
Article published in Endeavour Magazine, December 2017.
“Through this devotion to service, the five-year-old company quickly carved out a space for itself in the equipment rental field for Africa’s key heavy industries, including agriculture, forestry, mining, earthmoving, construction and road construction. When working in some of Africa’s more remote locations, this support can literally be operation-saving, and the loyalty this has won Kanu, speaks for itself. “
Kanu Equipment: Experience The Support!
Article published in Endeavour Magazine, December 2017.
“For many agricultural operations, work is seasonally-dependant, which means that there is a limited period where conditions are favourable for operation. Machine downtime can be harvest-threatening and needs to be avoided at all costs. Fortunately Kanu provides a wide range of replacement parts to minimise this risk. They also offer skilled maintenance support with round-the-clock standby to ensure the machines are back in action as soon as possible.”
“Hoes and cutlasses, bulls or oxen, have no place any longer in African agriculture: they belong in the museums, not on the farms.”
“Africa holds the key for feeding the 9 billion people that will be on the planet earth by 2050. Africa sits on 65% of the uncultivated arable land left in the world, so what Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world. Therefore, more than ever before, we must help Africa to rapidly modernize its agriculture and unlock its full potential. ”
̶ ̶ Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President, African Development Bank, World Food Prize Laureate 2017, at Norman Borlaug Lecture at Iowa State University, Des Moines Iowa, USA, October 17, 2017.
Meet the Boss: Stephen Smithyman, CEO, Kanu Equipment
“We now employ over 557 people across 14 countries and as a management team we are responsible for those people and the families that they support. With every decision I think of those people that work in very difficult circumstances and that is an enormous responsibility that we take on every day. ”
We’re at Electra Mining Botswana 2017!
12 September 2017
Our proud Kanu Equipment representatives at Electra Mining Botswana 2017.
The team of the Bel Air Alufer Mining site, Guinea Conakry
12 September 2017
The Belair Alufer Mining team, with Deon Hugo, in Guinea Conakry, enjoying the sunset and good cheer after another long day of hard work.
Equipment Sales & Services delivers cutting-edge equipment (again)
Article published in Engineer Magazine, August 2017
On the eve of July 27th, 2017, Equipment Sales & Services (ESS) handed over a Liebherr twin mechanical shovel to Debswana’s Jwaneng Mine. This is the second machine of its kind to be supplied in short succession, the previous one was delivered to Orapa less than 6 months ago
“YOU’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST GAME – NO ONE IS BIGGER THAN THE GAME”
Article published in Beneath Botswana, August 2017
Prior to the Liebherr R9350 Backhoe Excavator handover in Jwaneng, Beneath Botswana interviewed Equipment Sales and Services’ (ESS) Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bruce Paterson who enlightened us to the magnitude of this event. The introduction of this powerful workhorse followed in close succession to that of a unit delivered to Orapa Mine.
Read on to get a glimpse of ESS and its business operations in Botswana and the established African footprint of its parent company, Kanu Equipment.
Phatisa backs Kanu’s vision to build Africa’s leading equipment business
Phatisa has reached an agreement with JSE-listed Torre Industries Limited (Torre), whereby Phatisa and Kanu management buy Torre’s remaining shareholding in Kanu Equipment Limited (Kanu). The purchase takes Phatisa’s shareholding to 85%, with Kanu management increasing their stake to 15%.
Access to Mechanisation – Driving African Agri Growth
Food security is one of the most critical challenges facing Africa today. The continent imports food staples valued at about US$ 35 billion annually, primarily due to lack of optimal food production-supply-consumption chains. Value addition and agricultural commodity crop processing levels are low, and post-harvest losses in sub-Saharan Africa average 30% of total production, meaning the region loses over US$ 4 billion annually. (Source: African Development Bank, 2014 & 2016). Low output means low savings, leading to low demand for mechanisation and increasingly low productivity.
Farewell, fine friend!
25 July 2017
Kanu Equipment hosted a dinner function at The Legends Lounge, Sun City, on Wednesday, 12 July 2017, in Dave’s honor to bid him a fine farewell and express our most sincere thanks. MD’s from all countries, our shareholder as well as international suppliers were present to witness this momentous occasion.
Goal Diggers Award Ceremony
11 July 2017
Kanu Equipment celebrated the success of a great financial year at their Annual Awards Ceremony, held on the 11th of July 2017, at the Palace of the Lost City, Sun City.
Liebherr Dealership – Kanu Cameroon
Congratulations to Kanu Equipment Cameroon for being awarded the LIEBHERR Dealership.
Case Agriculture Dealership – Kanu Liberia
Congratulations to Kanu Equipment Liberia for being awarded the CASE Agriculture Dealership.
Another Bell B50E sale for Botswana
Exciting times as Equipment Sales & Services – Botswana, delivers a second BELL B50E machine to Debswana.
Kanu Equipment rapidly expands across the agricultural sector
As history has shown us time and again, efficient food production and farming is the key enabler of economic growth, and the stable platform upon which societal development can be achieved. if sub-Saharan Africa is to truly realise it’s great, and yet unfulfilled potential, make no mistake about it – fostering a vibrant and sustainable agriculture sector is essential.
Kanu Equipment – Experience the support
It is no secret that the lands of Africa are blessed with unimaginable riches, thanks to the vast natural resources that are to be found on and beneath its ground. For an example of this, we need look no further than the statistics surrounding its estimated mineral resources.
Ghana proudly hands over new Liebherr 924 Machine
Kanu Equipment Ghana has sold numerous machines in recent months. Here the Liebherr 924 is hard at work.
Kanu Zimbabwe Rebranding
Our Zimbabwe team celebrated their Grand Rebranding at three local events in Harare, Bulawayo & Hwange. Now trading as Kanu Equipment Zimbabwe, they look forward to their customers experiencing a new level of Service & Support.
The Official Mining in Africa Country Investment Guide (MACIG)
Selected Quotes from the Interview with Stephen Smithyman, CEO, Kanu Equipment
Takoradi Branch Opening
Kanu Equipment Ghana delivers a Liebherr excavator to Gold Lime Company Limited, CEO Rev Joy Blessing
The CASE Agriculture & CASE Construction dealerships have been awarded to Kanu Equipment Ivory Coast
Ghana hands over 2 x Liebherr 924 machines
Be a Champion Awards Ceremony

David Alcock accepts his Honorary Little Bird Award trophy
Kanu Equipment (Pty) Ltd celebrated their annual company Awards Ceremony in true champion style at Inanda country club, Sandton.
New shareholder, African Agriculture Fund (“AAF”), managed by Phatisa, acquires 40% shares in Torre Equipment Africa Limited

New shareholder, African Agriculture Fund (“AAF”), managed by Phatisa, acquires 40% shares in Torre Equipment Africa Limited
Torre is pleased to announce that it has concluded a subscription agreement (“Subscription Agreement”) with the African Agriculture Fund (“AAF”), a private equity fund managed by Phatisa Fund Managers Limited (“Phatisa”) in terms of which AAF will subscribe for 40% of the ordinary shares in Torre Equipment Africa Limited (“TEA”). A management consortium (“Manco”) will simultaneously subscribe for 5% of the shares in TEA (together, the “Transaction”). The shareholding in TEA after the Transaction will be 55% Torre, 40% AAF and 5% Manco. The Transaction will raise new capital of US$15 736 347 for TEA (“Subscription Proceeds”).
ESS delivers Liebherr R9350 to Debswana
Published in The Mining Insight, June 2016
Torre Equipment Africa (a part of the Kanu Equipment Group) on the 1st of November 2015 acquired, Equipment Sales and Services (ESS), the authorised Bell Equipment dealer in Botswana with operations in Gaborone and Francistown, the business supplies earthmoving and construction equipment as well as specialised parts and support services to the mining industry.