Sobetra Ltd Plant and Workshop Manager, Vincenzo Sperandeo (L) with Zoomlion Sales Manager S.A, Zhang Peng

Following the signing of a USD 210M contract to construct a road in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sobetra Limited plans to purchase additional plant and machinery to support the Project.

Last week, the Company sent its Plant and Workshop Manager, Vincenzo Sperandeo, for a three-day visit to Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Company yard in South Africa to see what machinery they can offer.

During the May 17-19 visit, Mr. Vincenzo had an opportunity to assess the capability and reliability of some equipment, such as excavators and bulldozers, which Sobetra is keen on purchasing.

According to the Plant and Workshop Manager, site visits to Mbombela and White River in eastern South Africa offered him “answers” to the “mechanical reliability” of Zoomlion ZE260E excavator and a Zoomlion ZD220-3 bulldozer as he had an opportunity to watch them at work.

“The machines I saw are of excellent quality in their structure such as arms, carriages, mechanical and hydraulic section. Also, the bulldozers are of excellent quality, especially in the safety of the passenger compartment,” Mr. Vincenzo told Sobetra News on Friday, May 20, when he landed back in the country.

To him, the intended purchase of more equipment is an “important and strategic move” for Sobetra Limited as it prepares for the DRC Project.

During the visit, Mr. Vincenzo was accompanied by Faith Thumbi, the Senior Sales Representative at Liddem International Construction Equipment Company Limited, an authorized dealer of Zoomlion in Kenya.

From Left: Li Anshan, Zoomlion Service Manager S.A; Vincenzo Sperandeo- Sobetra Ltd Plant and Workshop Manager; Faith Thumbi- Senior Sales Representative- Liddem International; and Zhang Peng- Zoomlion Sales Manager S.A

“Our company looks forward to walking and growing with Sobetra as they work on the Congo road project and all other projects across Africa,” Ms. Thumbi told Sobetra News on Saturday, May 21.

According to Sobetra’s Projects Director, Carlo Federico, Mr. Vincenzo’s visit to South Africa was an opportunity for the ISO 9001:2015-certified company to sample what Zoomlion has to offer and compare with other brands in the market such as Hyundai, Caterpillar, XCMG, and Shantui.

The DRC project is a Design and Build contract of a 340 Km road in South Kivu, a mineral-rich province that borders Rwanda, Tanzania, and Burundi to its East. Sobetra Limited will be executing the earthworks as a sub-contractor for Europe-based infrastructure company, A&M Development Group.

In a May 13 video address to members of the Sobetra family, the Company’s Managing Director, Giorgio Caesar Antonio Petrangeli Junior, termed the Project the “biggest contract in the company’s history” and one which “will drastically change Sobetra.”

Incorporated in Uganda in 1996, Sobetra Limited specializes in road construction and maintenance, bridge construction, dams and agricultural projects, sewage and water systems, and civil and industrial constructions.