Barloworld Equipment Opens Centre of Excellence in Phakalane

For sixty years, Barloworld Botswana has been driving economic and environmental development across Botswana and surrounding regions. Now, we’re proud to open a new Centre of Excellence in Phakalane to continue driving the critical work of improving our customer service in Sub-Saharan Africa, implementing sustainability strategies to meet net zero goals, and uplifting local communities through economic impact and skills development.

In August 2024, Barloworld Equipment Botswana, a subsidiary of Barloworld Equipment Southern Africa, marked a major milestone of six decades of partnership with Botswana by unveiling a new Centre of Excellence in Phakalane. This exciting investment in a regional state-of-the-art Caterpillar dealership facility embodies our unwavering commitment to excellent service delivery and highlights our integral role in building nations by fostering local economic and environmental development in Botswana. In the opening of this facility, we are pledging our long-term commitment to uplifting the entire region and continuing this trusted partnership decades into the future.

Driving Economic Growth

Since 1964, BWE has been a proud driving force behind Botswana’s economic growth. We have developed critical infrastructure for the mining, construction, and transportation and energy industries, and created jobs that empower and uplift local communities. This new Phakalane facility represents an exciting new chapter in BWE’s ongoing prioritisation of fostering growth and innovation in the country.

This commitment is two-fold; it allows us to offer a full suite of services to critical sectors in Botswana with focus on mining, improving our relationships with major mining houses in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Anglo American, De Beers, Debswana, and Sandfire Resources. More importantly though, it allows us to heavily invest in Botswana’s future.

Investing in Botswana’s Future

BWE’s contribution to Botswana’s development extends beyond infrastructure and industry. At the heart of our mission is a focus on empowering local talent and fostering long-term skills development. The Centre of Excellence employs 270 Brand Champions, 97% of whom are Botswana nationals. This is in addition to the 269 existing employees across Botswana, of which 79% are localised. 

With a training centre onsite, employees at the Centre of Excellence will have access to specialised programs in equipment operation, maintenance and diagnostics, ensuring that Botswana’s workforce remains at the forefront of industry advancements and our manufacturing skills are developed in-country. This meets our Corporate Social Responsibility goal of ensuring active corporate citizenship through investment in sustainable investment. 

Commitment to Sustainability

This Centre of Excellence also represents BWE’s dedication to sustainability. It is one of the first facilities in Botswana to achieve an EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certification, confirming its standing as a fully sustainable green facility. With 60–70% of water used on-site recycled and back-up power in place for any contingencies, this facility is setting a new benchmark for eco-friendly practices in Botswana. The facility uses energy-efficient systems, water recycling technologies, and eco-conscious materials reducing its environmental footprint, while the landscaping features more than 20 species of natural plants appropriate for xeriscape.

Key sustainability features include:

• Solar power: A grid-tied solar photovoltaic system is expected to be installed by Q1 2025 which will supply 30–50% of the facility’s power, reducing dependence on non-renewable energy.
• Water recycling: A customised hydrocarbon and water recycling system has been installed to support washbay operations and align to CAT contamination control programs.  
• Waste management: Advanced refuse sorting and storage systems will support comprehensive recycling and waste minimization efforts aligning with our waste target ambitions. 

BWE’s sustainability strategy is informed by our ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2050 through zero harm and reducing carbon emissions by 15% in the next five years, and these initiatives show a commitment to placing sustainability at the heart of BWE’s operations. Our goal is to create a greener future for Botswana while cementing ourselves as industry leaders in the region.

Ongoing Partnerships For Future Development

The BWE Botswana Centre of Excellence will provide faster equipment maintenance, a more diverse range of Cat® machinery, and around-the-clock technical support from highly skilled local workers, improving our customer service across the Sub-Saharan region. With this facility, we will also ensure that BWE remains a leading partner in driving Botswana’s economic and sustainable development.

For six decades, we have been an integral part of Botswana’s development in a number of industries. With the opening of this Centre of Excellence in Phakalane, we intend to reaffirm our commitment to building a brighter future for the nation. This major milestone marks the beginning of many more years of economic progress, sustainability, and partnership between BWE and Botswana.