Rand-Air, market leaders in the rental of compressors and generators have been operating in African markets Angola and Botswana for a number of years. The company recognised the need to be closer to their customers and their needs. As the pace of development into Africa gains rapid momentum, Rand-Air has made tremendous strides in establishing a footprint in these two markets.
“In Angola, customers have adopted a purchase culture and major foreign companies sought services from businesses outside of Angola due to its lack of local availability and services,” says Ceu Moreira, Rental Business Development Manager- Angola. “We needed to impact the way our customer’s did business by building their trust in our brand.”
Starting a business in an unfamiliar country is extremely challenging, especially one that not long ago came out of a devastating civil war and were still trying to find themselves. Rand-Air first visited Angola in 2007 and then again in 2011 as the company was desperate to find an opportunity to establish a footprint.
“We had identified our target market and our focus was to establish good and solid customer relationships with exceptional service in the local rental market which, to a certain extent, was foreign to some. It was a slow progression as we began implementing our business plan in mid-2013 with various investments into the country in terms of machines and infrastructure,” she adds.
It is obvious that when starting from scratch knowledge, expertise and attitude are crucial ingredients to make a success. “Finding the right candidates for our business was one of the biggest challenges that we faced. We invest hugely in our people and this is evident through continuous training in various competencies.”
Since 2014 when Rand-Air entered Angolan territory they have built a solid foundation with the ongoing support from their head office in South Africa. “We are committed to continue growing our operation in Angola with strong values with a mission of exceeding customer satisfaction,” concludes Moreira.
