Supporting the entrepreneurial spirit

Babcock International Group, the importer and distributor of DAF Trucks in Southern Africa, has completed an entrepreneurial deal with a relatively new entrant into the local road-freight market.


Ten brand new DAF XF105.460 units were delivered to the Alberton premises of Maxillaria Logistics, and were immediately put onto a long-haul contract between Durban Harbour and the Zambian Copperbelt.

“Being new to the South African market, it was difficult to secure credit lines, despite our track record as an established operator in other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries; our Zimbabwe operation had grown to 150 trucks by 2014,” says Maxillaria MD, Bernard Lunga.

“So, when we launched on our company in South Africa last year, we bought 15 second-hand trucks for cash, and have quickly built our business on the strength of our extensive network of customers.”

According to Mark Gavin, Babcock sales director (transport solutions), Maxillaria exhibits a strong customer foundation, sound management experience and great potential for growth.

“We were impressed with the track record and the progress of this young company, and were able to offer them a finance structure, that suited their business model, through our own dedicated finance company, Babcock Financial Services,” says Gavin.

As part of the deal, the ten DAF trucks will also be covered by a repair and maintenance contract to ensure smooth operation and peace of mind.

“Meeting a company like Babcock, with its entrepreneurial approach and great product line-up, was a breakthrough for us – and we look forward to working with them closely as we grow our business further. I really appreciate the fact that Babcock was able to view the opportunity from an entrepreneurial point of view,” concludes Lunga.