Construction World March 2018

COVER STORY: TRUCKING

Scania: perfect PARTNER FOR SUCCESS Ditshimega Projects and Training’s (Ditshimega) success in a difficult economic climate has been

his bottom line. “Before we switched over to Scania vehicles, the company acquired 20 vehicles from another manufacturer in 2016.” This posed problems for the fledgling company as downtime on the vehicles not only caused frustration for the company; the clients were also frustrated as this led to questions whether Ditshimega had the capacity to run certain projects. “We were left with non- functioning trucks for up to a month. That is why I started the relationship with Scania,” says Ranta. In 2017 the company acquired 19 P360s in three batches. In addition they own a R500 truck tractor, a R460 and a G460. The company now owns 22 Scanias with more purchases to come. “The initial capital cost is not our main concern when selecting a vehicle,” says Ranta. “We have decided on Scania trucks because of what they can offer, and the value it can bring to our business.” Ranta continues: “We do not support an OEM merely because the sales person is likeable. We must be in love with their product. We are in love with Scania and will continue to buy their product.” And what does he love about the product? “The fact that it does not stop, the way the truck is built and that it can be used for anything,” he says. He maintains that the vehicles only have downtime when they are serviced. Scania prides itself on trucks that deliver productivity and reliability, along with class-leading fuel economy, excellent total operating economy and low emissions. Unprecedented growth The development of Ditshimega has been nothing short of astounding. “The success even surprised the company’s bank,” says Ranta. He rattles off the dizzying successes: “We went from a turnover of R1,2-million to around R250-million in four years. The company has assets of around R200-million while our order book is currently at R400-million. We are on a grade 9 cidb level (Construction Industry Development Board) which is the highest level in the South African construction industry and we have outgrown our initial 30 m 2 office space and now use office space of 400 m 2 .” They are awaiting approval of buildings plans to build new offices of R35-million in Pretoria. Tailoring With such successes it becomes vital to trust your preferred OEM to deliver good pre- and aftersales support and products that are best suited for the task at hand to enable the contractor with his core business. “Before we acquired our first truck tractor from Scania – the

The beginning In 2013 Ranta, who obtained his civil engineering degree from the University of Pretoria, wanted to further his career as a civil engineering contractor. Up until then he had worked for various companies in the construction industry, but after 14 years he needed a new challenge. “The work I was doing was routine and I felt that opening a company would give me more room to keep it exciting,” Ranta explains. The company he established started off small and focused on subcontracting and helping other companies with contracts management expertise. The vast knowledge of the industry that the Ditshimega team possesses, has propelled Ditshimega Project and Training to become a force to be reckoned with in civil and construction contracting. The company primarily specialises in civil engineering, general building (both as contractors and consultants), land surveying, and contracts administration. Within its focus on construction it has specialised For a company wanting to maintain such a steep upward trajectory, it has to partner with the right partners. Ranta says that Ditshimega started their relationship with Scania in 2017. “I knew the OEM from seeing long-haul Scania vehicles and because I know they drive long distances, I knew they would be ideal for our footprint.” Ditshimega currently has Scania trucks present across the country: Cape Town, Pampierstad, Lichtentenburg and in Gauteng. This led to a meeting with them as he believed owning and operating these would mean less hassle and would be beneficial to the MD, Sakkie Ranta about the company’s business model, its unique selling point and its preference for Scania vehicles in its quest to offer turnkey solutions to customers for the building of trusting relationships. fields for asphalt, concrete and pipelines. A perfect partner for success nothing less than astounding. When it was established in 2013 it had an annual turnover of R1,2-million. This has exploded to R250-million in 2017. Wilhelm du Plessis asked A new model A project in Garankuwa is one that Ranta is particularly proud of. “This is for two reasons: I grew up in Garankuwa and this project was in the very next zone to the one where I grew up. Secondly, it was a R103-million project and the first that we did in its entirety without assistance from outside the company. In doing so, Ranta tested the business model with this project. He believes the company is successful because of the turnkey solution it provides.

Sakkie Ranta (right) with Jean Groenewald, Sales Representative: Trucks at Scania South Africa. For Ranta after-sales service is a defining factor for a construction company in the choice of trucks.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD MARCH 2018