Year of Formation and Background to Founding:
Zest Electric Motors was founded in South Africa by James Blakemore in 1980, selling WEG electric motors and has been affiliated with WEG Brazil from the beginning. Over the years Zest Electric Motors acquired and consolidated companies to form Zest WEG, offering much more than the initial electric motors with a comprehensive energy solutions offering today. In 2010 WEG acquired majority equity stake in Zest WEG.
Significantly, Zest WEG celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, while WEG celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
Company Mission, Products & Services:
The WEG mission is continuous and sustainable growth while maintaining simplicity. As a subsidiary of WEG, Zest WEG aims to continue its rapid growth in a sustainable way, keeping a simple business structure, providing flexibility.
Offerings to the African market range from low- and high-voltage electric motors, vibrator motors, variable speed drives and soft-starters to power and distribution transformers, motor control centres, containerised substations, E-houses and mini substations. The product line-up also includes diesel generator sets, switchgear, panels and distribution boards. Capabilities range from energy generation, electrical infrastructure and mobile solutions to electrical and instrumentation construction and project management services.
Zest WEG supplies not only single product installations, but a range of fully integrated, custom-engineered solutions. The application of the latest technologies ensures customers benefit from optimum performance, reliability, energy efficiency and lowest total cost of ownership.
Current Shareholders:
Subsidiary of WEG with local partnership
Number of People Employed: 910
Greatest Corporate Achievement:
Four decades in Africa has seen Zest WEG invest in a powerful manufacturing base and grow a significant product and solutions footprint across sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy is underpinned by its investment in technology and skills transfer between the company and its holding company WEG in Brazil. As a result, local content in the company’s manufacture of transformers is now nearly 90%, while for products like E-houses and electrical panels it has exceeded 70%.
Hope for the Future:
Our business – both in Brazil and South Africa – has put our weight behind economic empowerment and transformation, focusing heavily on developing local suppliers and local skills. As part of the global WEG organisation, Zest WEG follows and promotes best practice sustainability methodologies. These are integral to our business operations with the overall aim of reducing the environmental impact of all activities, ultimately hoping to pave the way for a sustainable future.
Did you know?
In Brazil on 16 September 1961 an electrician, an administrator and a mechanic combined their knowledge and skills and founded Eletromotores Jaraguá. The name was later changed to WEG, referencing the initials of the founders, Werner Ricardo Voigt, Eggon João da Silva and Geraldo Werninghaus.