Infrastructure projects across the African continent mean big bucks for Barloworld
Barloworld, a South African distributor of Caterpillar equipment, expects spending by mining companies and governments on infrastructure to boost Africa sales of the machinery by more than 10% a year.
“We are still in the infancy of growth of Caterpillar products in Africa,” Barloworld chief exeutive Clive Thomson, 47, said in an interview in Johannesburg on June 6. “Anything that is going to require infrastructure build — roads, dams, bridges, ports, harbors, airports, railway networks, new power grids — all requires in one way or another our construction equipment.”
Sales of the machinery will probably grow by a percentage in the “strong double digits” over the next five years, Thomson said.
Barloworld sales of Caterpillar equipment rose 30% to R25.3-billion ($2.5-billion) in the year through September compared with an 18% increase in total revenue, according to the company’s annual report. Barloworld has exclusive distribution rights with the Peoria, Illinois-based manufacturer of heavy machinery in Russia and eight African countries including Zambia and Mozambique.
Barloworld, which also operates car dealerships and a logistics unit, seeks to take advantage of new mining projects in commodity-rich African countries to sell equipment. The company has won a R1.1-billion deal from Vancouver-based First Quantum Minerals for its Zambia copper projects and a R1.2 billion-rand contract from Swakop Uranium to supply drilling and loading equipment in Namibia.
Stock declined
Sales of Caterpillar machinery, including spare parts and services, have a profit margin of 7.2%, higher than 4.5% for Barloworld’s automotive and logistics division, according to Thomson.
Net income for the six months through March rose 50% to R643-million, the company said in a statement on May 20. Revenue increased 11% to R31.3-billion, driven partly by the contribution of sales from local distribution units of Bucyrus, bought from Caterpillar in 2012.
Barloworld is countering the impact of a weaker rand with its exposure to other currencies including the Russian ruble, Thomson said at the time of the first-half earnings announcement. The rand has fallen 16% against the dollar this year, making it the worst performer of 16 major currencies tracked by Bloomberg. It traded 1.8% lower at 10.14 by 08:45 a.m. in Johannesburg.
Barloworld shares have declined 2.5% this year, compared with a 4% gain on the FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index. The stock rose 0.4% to 85.36 rand by the market close in Johannesburg on June 7, valuing the company at R19.73-billion.
Barloworld’s automotive division manages 45 car dealerships in South Africa, selling vehicles from manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz Automobil AG, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Audi, Volkswagen AG and Toyota Motor Corp. – Bloomberg