KSB Pumps and Valves is going all-in at Nampo’s annual Harvest Day this year with a full complement of technical and business experts to assist farmers with their current and future pumping requirements.
It will be the first time in many years that the manufacturer is attending in its own capacity having in the past played a secondary role in support of its agents. The decision to play a more central role in the show will place the manufacturer directly alongside South Africa’s farmers to encourage faster decisions and on-the-ground problem solving.
“There is a lot of pressure on farmers to reduce cost and we are concerned that these cost pressures could lead to them opting for some bad decisions to buy untested or poorly supported pumps and valves from a host of new suppliers in the market. That is why we are bringing our full team to Nampo to assist end users,” says Hugo du Plessis market area manager for KSB Pumps and Valves.
He adds that farmers will be able to engage directly with sales, technical, aftersales support and logistics teams around real pumping challenges to ensure the right solutions are selected from the start. This direct engagement strengthens the company’s long-standing channel partnerships and its relationship with its agents remains firmly intact and continues to play a key role in the agricultural sector.
“Our well-established Sales Partners in the Irrigation Market in South Africa have supported KSB for many years and will always be our 1st line of defence to support our product in the market. As an OEM we strive to support our product and our sales partner with the technology and know-how we bring to the Irrigation Market – Solutions. For Life.
“KSB has a long history in this country and we have got many thousands of pumps and valves installed in a wide range of applications from irrigation and boreholes to supporting livestock operations, waste water and many others. With KSB present at Nampo strengthens our presence and reinforces confidence in the brand,” says Keith Hedges, KSB Pumps and Valves sales manager for valves.
This global German pump manufacturing company offers more than 700 product variants across pumps and valves supported by local manufacturing at its Germiston plant and a comprehensive branch and dealer network throughout the sub-Saharan Africa region. It has a history in the region that spans more than 100 years and agriculture has always been a core market.
To celebrate the long involvement in the industry KSB has chosen to place its most familiar and long-lived pump, the KSB Etanorm pump, at the centre of this year’s exhibition. This stalwart has supported agricultural pumping for generations and is built on a platform dating back to 1871 where it has remained a dependable workhorse and formed the foundation on which many of KSB’s newer technologies are built. Improvements have been made over the years, by listening to our Farmers.
“In many ways the Etanorm has been the backbone of our agricultural offering and is a pump that farmers trust. Now we are extending that reliability into newer, more efficient and application-specific solutions. These include advanced borehole and multi-stage pumps as well as the Corachrom borehole pump range which is engineered for durability under harsh African conditions and is able to operate efficiently on solar power where required. Locally produced self-priming pumps for sludge and manure handling along with submersible dewatering units will also be on display.
“Digitalisation will also feature strongly with the KSB Guard on show that enables farmers to have real-time condition monitoring of pumps especially those for remote or large-scale farming operations,” says Hugo.
Valves
In addition to pumps, KSB will also showcase a focused range of irrigation and water management valves. These include butterfly valves, check and non-return valves, as well as its resilient seated gate valves with elastomer linings designed to handle erosion and corrosion.
“We will have a good selection of our valves on show but our main focus will be engaging with our farmers to see how best we can assist them as the market is getting flooded with low-cost imports and farmers are not sure of the correct route to follow. That is why we want to turn the focus to how we ensure reliability through our engineering quality and support of our products throughout their lifecycles.
“There are cheaper options out there, but when you consider total cost of ownership including maintenance, downtime, spares and eventual replacements costs the KSB solution often works out more cost-effective in the long run,” says Keith.
Hugo echoes this sentiment from a pump perspective. “Farmers may think they are saving money upfront, but failures and lack of support quickly change that equation. With us you get a durable product that is designed to excel in our local conditions and that is backed by local expertise as well as a comprehensive support network. This extends from procurement and installation to ongoing service and support through to eventual repair and refurbishment to OEM-standards.
“From a risk perspective, dealing with KSB and their Sales Partners is a safer option. We can support older installations, supply spares, manufacture components and do on-site repairs where needed. It’s a full lifecycle approach.”
The two KSB representatives conclude that the value of OEM presence at Nampo ultimately lies in this depth of capability. With both pump and valve specialists on hand, farmers can engage in detailed discussions around system design, material selection and application-specific challenges ensuring the right solution is specified from the outset.
KSB is an all-in-one solution provider, from sizing, system evaluations, aftermarket support and monitoring, coming from a 100% locally manufactured OEM, it is not just a pump, it’s a KSB,” The Blue Pump!”
Fun fact
KSB will also host daily competitions at the Nampo Harvest Days, giving visitors the chance to win a domestic borehole pump as an added incentive to connect with the KSB team and explore its offering.
