Increased demand for Bobcat equipment in the Western Cape has resulted in construction equipment supplier Bobcat Equipment South Africa’s Cape Town branch increasing the number of field technicians it employs to ensure the delivery of the best possible after-sales services.

Consequently, this will shorten downtime associated with any breakdown, says Bobcat sales consultant Cape Town Christo Swart.

The South African construction sector has always been one of the biggest markets for capital equipment and again had a huge impact on Bobcat Equipment South Africa’s sales in 2019, he tells Engineering News. 

“The developments in and around South Africa have increased tremendously. Therefore, companies have opted to buy equipment rather than rent machinery to limit the impact on their cashflow and profit potential.”

Bobcat’s product development is guided by the increasing need for less expensive machinery, says Swart.

Consequently, the Bobcat S18 is doing “extremely well” in the construction sector, as it offers end-users an inexpensive skidsteer, with fewer electrical components, an operating capacity of 687 kg and breakout force of 1 465 kg and/or 1 937 kg.

The Earthforce S18 skidsteer loaders were developed in Prague, in the Czech Republic.

Recent deliveries by Bobcat’s Cape Town branch include two Bobcat tractor loader backhoes (TLBs) and a Bobcat skidsteer, as well as two Sany Sy210 excavators, for the construction of roads on the West Coast.

The branch also has a strong relationship with equipment rental company Anzi Plant & Mining Services, in Cape Town, with which it has been dealing for the past six years. The company took delivery of its first four Bobcat machines in 2018 and now have four TLBs and two skidsteers in its fleet.

“Anzi Plant & Mining Services, owned by the Burger family, is known for their services rendering in and around South Africa,” concludes Swart.