2021 marked a watershed year for South Africa’s industrial equipment and material handling industry with a record 10,724 units into the country. This was up by 87.0% compared to same period in 2020, and most likely the result of precautionary measures taken by industry players to avoid the COVID-19 related shipment and supply chain challenges.

Vuyokazi Bangazi, national sales manager for Toyota Industrial Equipment, a division of the material handling and industrial equipment supplier, EIE Group, says many businesses have already placed orders for 2022 to guard against pandemic-related delays in the delivery of equipment.

“Interestingly, last year’s market was made up of 75% counterbalance equipment and 25% warehouse equipment - indicating a significant shift into the warehouse space in South Africa, a space we are watching closely. Having noted the boom in South Africa in 2021, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are expecting an equally bullish market in 2022,” she adds.

Closer to home

Toyota Industrial Equipment tracked well within this milieu, with its success largely attributed to the crafting of a clear sales strategy that was aligned with the OEM’s goals.

Bangazi says the OEM was impressed with Toyota Industrial Equipment’s tracking against the market size. “We achieved our goals by boosting brand awareness, creating a positive sales culture amongst our employees, and improving our market intelligence. We believe these measures, amongst others, will help ensure the business tracks positively in 2022 and we achieve the targets we have set ourselves.”

She says while the pandemic certainly challenged the business, it has been interesting note how resilient employees have proved to be, quickly adapting to new ways of doing things.

“Our people were focused on performing well and achieving their targets, especially in the sales space. The appointment of a national sales manager in September 2021, a position that hadn’t been filled for 18 months now the team now has an invested leader and this has created a sense of belonging and a sense of direction.”

In addition to the ongoing global pandemic, the unrest which took place during July 2021 in South Africa and the disruptions of global supply chain have caused delays in the transporting of equipment including shipments into the country.

Despite these challenges, Bangazi says employees were more eager than ever to perform well. “Perhaps it was in the knowledge that times were tough and they wanted to ensure the business succeeded, which would ultimately translate into secure jobs and an increased sense of wellbeing.”

Toyota Industrial Equipment was also highly active from a marketing point of view, which created excitement in the business. “We initiated an internal Let’s Move Metal campaign, which offered rewards for excellent performance. We also prioritised listening to our people and getting insight into their needs and then doing something about it.

“Notably, we improved our internal and external communication processes with consistent and coherent messaging, enhancing transparency in the business and helping to people to feel more involved and valued. Our employees loved seeing themselves on social media, which tells me they enjoy being associated with our brand and are proud to work for the company. And, that speaks volumes,” adds Bangazi.

Looking ahead

With the groundwork largely done, Bangazi says Toyota Industrial Equipment will be implementing its strategic plan with a view to capturing the market this year. “This is something I am extremely passionate about and the business is quite structured in terms of exactly what it wants to achieve.

In pursuit of this, the business will be focusing on entrenching its customer-centric culture. “We want to present a unified front by ensuring that everyone in the business is aligned - with each other and with our customers. This will be underpinned by a strong marketing campaign,” notes Bangazi.

In addition, the business is in the process of appointing a new regional sales manager at one of its largest branches. In addition, a dealer sales manager has been appointed, a move that forms part of Toyota Industrial Equipment’s strategy to grow into South Africa’s neighbouring countries. “In fact, part of our strategy and 2025 vision is to take our business to the next level by extending our reach into new markets in Africa.

“We are firmly on track towards achieving our 2025 vision, which is supported by our strategy. The business has positioned itself as a total solutions business and we want customers to not only choose us for our product, but our expertise too,” concludes Bangazi.