The Motherwell, Scotland-based manufacturer says the newly re-elected African National Congress (ANC) government is prioritising infrastructure development, providing opportunities for the country’s construction industry. This will have an impact on South Africa's aggregates and building materials sectors.
Terex Trucks says the ANC's re-election is expected to bring stability and revive Africa’s most industrialised country following the economic slowdown. This has also affected the construction industry, which contracted by 1.2% in 2018. Experts believe that the government’s efforts to enhance transport, residential and industrial infrastructure through the establishment of a fund of over £21bn (384bn South African rand) will support the growth of the construction industry over the next few years.
“With so many new projects in the pipeline, we have identified South Africa as a key market for Terex Trucks,” says Roger Teece, EMEA regional Sales manager at the company. “We want to reach out to new customers and introduce them to our robust, reliable articulated haulers as well as reinforce our commitment to existing customers in the region."
He added that Terex Trucks has recently made "significant investments and improvements to ensure our TA300 and TA400 continue to support our customers in the toughest applications – our upgraded TA300 is just one example of this.”
The TA400 is Terex Trucks’ biggest articulated hauler and is designed for use in quarries, large-scale construction projects and mines.
The total construction project pipeline in South Africa, including all mega projects, stands at £154bn (2.6 trillion South African rand). With this boost, Terex Trucks says the country’s construction industry is set to emerge from recession and grow by 2.4% in 2019. China, one of South Africa’s largest trading partners, has also pledged to invest £1.7bn (214bn South African rand) in the country over the next few years.
Terex Trucks says its two articulated haulers – the 28 tonne (30.9 ton) TA300 and the 38 tonne (41.9 ton) TA400 – are a popular choice among mining companies throughout South Africa, which mainly use the machines for coal mining. The country’s mining industry has historically been a driving force for South Africa’s development, and although investment in the industry has declined, it is still a big market – contributing £18.8bn (344bn South African Rand) to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018.
Towards the end of 2018, the TA300 was upgraded and is now manufactured with the latest EP320 transmission. The updated machine is claimed to deliver a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency, a 5 km/h (3.1 mph) increase in speed to 55 km/h (34 mph), an extended maintenance period and enhanced performance when compared with the previous model.
The TA400 has a heaped capacity of 23.0 m3 (30.3 yd3) and is powered by an engine that develops a gross power of 331 kW (444 hp) and a maximum torque of 2,255 Nm (1,663 lbf ft). Ground level test points and a fully tilting cab, combined with an electronically raised hood, are designed to enable ease of service and reduced downtime.
