Lubricants and greases manufacturer Castrol Limited has opened more than 50 auto services centres in Southern Africa, and is now rolling them out to other parts of the continent, particularly to support the development of female workshop owners as it looks to the future with a new strategy.
Castrol, which is part of the BP Group, on Friday said some of its key focus areas will be to offer solar energy to independent workshops, launch an exclusive loyalty programme for mechanics through FastScan, and extend the Castrol partnership with Renault-Nissan until the end of 2027.
According to market research company Mordor Intelligence, the South African lubricants market size is estimated to grow to 419.90 million litres this year (2024) and reach 454.14m litres by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4%.
Their analysis shows that automotive is the largest end-use segment in South Africa, owing to the higher amount of engine oils and gear oils used in vehicles over industrial applications.
Castrol CEO Michelle Jou said they were aiming to grow their core business in new ways, using the company’s cutting-edge technology and its global brand to stay at the forefront of the automotive sector.
Jou said they had launched their “Onward, Upward, Forward” strategy as part of Castrol’s 125th anniversary this year, to meet the changing needs of customers.
“Our 'Onward, Upward, Forward' strategy embodies our dedication to accelerating our customers’ progress, helping them to face the challenges of tomorrow,” Jou said.
“We’re developing more circular offers to help customers achieve their sustainability goals and exploring exciting new growth opportunities beyond lubricants.”
Customers on the African continent will also note a special 125-year commemorative logo, which will be used throughout this year, both locally and in events and sponsorships across the world.
Castrol Southern Africa sales director Melanie van Straaten said they had maintained strong brand recognition in Africa for decades by constantly listening to what their customers needed and delivering the best products.
She said Castrol would also be developing employees’ skills, including technical skills in new technologies, practical training, life skills, business management and financial literacy.
“Our success is underpinned by our rigorous testing, quality control and investments in research, which will enable us to keep our premier positioning on the continent,” she said.
Van Straaten said Castrol would also be going galactic, with its lubricants being used more than 250 million miles away on NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover.
“The precision instruments on the vehicle (including a weather station, ultraviolet spectrometer and micro-imager) must be able to operate in Mars’ extreme environment, a planet where in summer it is 20°C at the equator and -153°C at the poles,” she said.
“For this, Castrol specially developed Braycote greases and Brayco oils, which maintain their ability to provide lubrication despite dramatic temperature fluctuations.”
Castrol is also investing further in its global technology hubs in China, Germany and the Americas.
In the UK, it has a planned $60 million (R1.2 billion) investment in a new, state-of-the-art electric vehicle (EV) battery testing centre and analytical laboratory.
Castrol Africa’s marketing director, Jennifer Heyes, said they believed in pushing the boundaries.
“Castrol's pursuit of leadership is driven by several key factors that set us apart. Innovation combined with continuous learning allows us to stay ahead in a rapidly-changing market,” Heyes said.
BUSINESS REPORT