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Beyond The 15 – RMA Automotive South Africa Celebrates 15 Years of Engineering Excellence and Innovation

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NEWS

Beyond The 15 - RMA Automotive South Africa Celebrates 15 Years of Engineering Excellence and Innovation

South Africa, November 15, 2023 – Special Vehicles Manufacturer, RMA Automotive South Africa (RMAA SA), proudly marked its 15-year anniversary this week. Since its inception in 2008, the company has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence and innovation, shaping the future of mobility through advanced engineering and strategic partnerships.

Commemorating the anniversary with the theme, ‘Beyond the 15 – The Future of Mobility Reimagined’, captures the essence of its forward-looking approach in modifying vehicles for export markets, commercial fleet customers, aid organizations, and government agencies.

Embedding Strategic Expertise in South Africa for Africa

RMAA SA stands at the forefront of automotive innovation as a distinguished vehicle modifier, showcasing its expertise in transforming a diverse range of vehicles. From internal combustion engines to advanced technologies like battery-electric vehicles, the specialized vehicles have engineered technologies for delivering power and propulsion solutions to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and a multitude of fleet customers.

The business has renewed its determination and purpose to become an innovative company leading in mobility solutions, and a global player with a balanced footprint across Africa.

“Over the past 15 years in South Africa, we’ve evolved, adapted, and grown. We’ve overcome challenges, embraced change, and seized opportunities. Our success is a testament to the dedication and hard work of every individual who has been a part of this remarkable journey. It is the result of the unwavering support of our clients and partners, and the trust and loyalty of our customers,” said Brendan Londt, Country Manager at RMAA SA. 

“Throughout the years, RMAA SA has always strived to be at the forefront of technology, safety, and agility to meet our customers’ requirements and offering them solutions to meet their needs. And now our ambition is to expand our footprint into Africa; not only will we be contributing to the economic development in new markets but more importantly, we will be providing customers across Africa the same excellent service and products in a timeous and cost-effective manner that our South African  customers can attest to,” he added.   

This 15-year celebratory event marked a legacy of service of how the company has been pushing the boundaries when it comes to innovative mobility solutions. Attendees at the media breakfast also had the opportunity to inspect RMA Special Vehicles’ capabilities and to see first-hand what the future of mobility entails through unmatched innovation, proven performance, and breakthrough life-cycle economics.

Alan Caugant, RMA Automotive Managing Director Global Manufacturing announced the company’s vision for the future and said: “we are making new commitments to develop in three fundamental areas, namely, vehicle personalization, special vehicles solutions and, development and manufacturing competence to ensure that we achieve our financial ambition of doubling our net revenues by 2030 (over 2022) and sustaining a double-digit adjusted operating income margin throughout the decade.”

An impressive strategic development in Africa markets

Representing RMA Group headquartered in Thailand, Christian Wiedmann, RMA Group Senior Vice President and Managing Director Automotive emphasised that the importance of South Africa in the company’s strategy cannot be overstated. “South Africa’s strategic location on the African continent is and will always be a compelling reason for our strong presence here, he said.”

Wiedmann concluded by addressing the talent skills in the continent, saying, “the talent pool in Africa is vast, diverse, and eager to participate in the global economy. By investing in education, skills development, and fostering innovation, the company will not only uplift the lives of individuals but also enhance the organization’s competitiveness on a global scale.”

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About RMA Automotive

RMA Automotive is an innovative company leading in mobility solutions, and a global player with a balanced footprint across the globe.

RMA Special Vehicles core competencies are the special vehicle modification solutions, complex conversions, large scale vehicle personalization and CKD assembly.

RMA Special Vehicles are produced at RMA Automotive’s global manufacturing plants in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Türkiye, Dubai, South Africa, and Australia.

www.rmaspecialvehicles.com/sa

www.rmaspecialvehicles.com

About RMA Group

Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, RMA Group employs over 8,000 people and has an operational presence in 14 countries. RMA is the partner of choice for leading automotive, equipment, services, and food brands in Southeast Asia and beyond. Operations consist of the manufacturing of special vehicles, vehicle distribution, retail, and fleet hub services; RMA heavy and agricultural equipment distribution, EFG food franchising and delivery services, engineering, and financial services.

www.rmagroup.net

RMA Automotive South Africa Goes Green

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RMA AUTOMOTIVE SOUTH AFRICA GOES GREEN

RMA Automotive South Africa moved into their new Head Office in early 2022, and as with most businesses in South Africa, backup power options were put high on the list of priorities.

With load shedding being a fact of life, and planned electricity outages alone reaching 6 hours a day,  a robust long-term solution to ensuring productivity was required.

The decision was made to install a Hybrid Solar System. The 15.2kW system comprises 28 solar panels a 12kV three-phase inverter and 20kWh worth of lithium-ion batteries, supplied and installed by NexSolar, a reputable South African solar solutions provider. 

This Hybrid Solar System not only mitigates the effect of load shedding but results in producing significant power savings, so much so that in the month of August, RMAA SA was able to produce 66.5% of the total electricity the business consumed.

RMAA SA’s decision to go green was logical in terms of reducing energy costs and ensuring an uninterrupted electricity supply, therefore preventing downtime due to load shedding. On top of this RMAA SA is doing its part in contributing to a cleaner environment.

RMA Automotive SA Ford Ranger Security Vehicles

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CASE STUDIES

RMA AUTOMOTIVE SA FORD RANGER SECURITY VEHICLES

New Vaal opencast mine and its sister Colliery Kriel (owned by the Seriti Resources Group) gave us the brief to provide a mining conversion to 47 of the standard Ford Ranger twin cab and 10 single cab bakkies.

These have been modified in line with South Africa’s “Class 3 Light Mining Vehicle Specifications” with extra features requested by the customer. In addition, all double cab vehicles have been fitted with the HALO™ rollover occupant protection system.

This system has been developed to be the most effective and economical means of mitigating deaths and injuries in rollover crashes. It consists of an optimized tubular structure mounted on the vehicle roof (similar in appearance to a roof rack) in combination with internal pillar reinforcements that stay within the original equipment manufacturer plastic trim to maintain its interior space and appearance. By using RMAA-SA (which is a Ford qualified vehicle modifier (QVM)) to fulfil the order, Seriti Resources benefits by retaining the vehicles’ full QVM warranty, despite the high degree of modification.

Further, these vehicles are favourites in the mining industry’s security sector because they have been modified to the B6 Standard, which means the vehicle’s bodywork modifications have been thoroughly tested to be resistant to bullets fired from R1 and AK47 assault rifles. Work on this aspect of the conversion was expertly carried out by SVI Engineering which is Ford Motor Company SA’s official partner for this category of vehicle modification.

According to SVI, B6 is the highest level of civilian protection allowed in South Africa without having to apply for a special permit. It is designed for the “valuables-in-transit industry” as well as for high-profile individuals who require particularly effective protection.

Special armoured steel plates in the doors, pillars, firewall, the rear of the cabin, the front fenders and 38mm armoured glass on these Ford Rangers provide maximum protection. Additional “Ford Approved” armouring includes roof and floor armouring, a bull-bar and ballistic grill, a run-flat ring system for the tyres and a compact public address system. The bakkie’s suspension has also been upgraded to take on the 650kg extra weight of the modification.

The vehicle pictured here is one of the last of the 57 unit Ford Ranger deal we did with Eastvaal Motors, Secunda. (Refer to our previous blog: RMA Automotive SA Modify Mining Vehicles for Seriti Coal

RMA Automotive SA Transporter Canopies

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CASE STUDIES

RMA AUTOMOTIVE SA STAFF TRANSPORTER CANOPY

Improved health and safety considerations are causing employers today to take a long hard look at ways of safely transporting their employees.

This project was the first of its kind for RMAA-SA and the three canopies ordered by PGC were delivered in record time.

Not only does the method have to ensure that they are safe and sound in the vehicle transporting them but they must also be adequately protected from the elements. The days of piling into the load bin of an open bakkie are behind us and we have to find better solutions to ensure our people’s safety.

While a minicab bus may offer a solution for transporting fairly large groups, when it comes to conveying small numbers of people, say between four and eight, there is basically not a lot of choice available in the marketplace. Furthermore, most of the people carriers out there are not as rugged as some clients may require.

 
New health and safety regulations mean new mobility solutions are required.

Our research has shown that there is a growing need for canopies like this that can be fitted to bakkies in the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux ranges. We are convinced our Transporter Canopies will revolutionise the way small numbers of people can be safely conveyed not only on the city streets but especially when these vehicles have to travel over rough terrain. We are very excited about our new product and foresee that our Transporter Canopy will be of great benefit to municipalities, security/guarding companies, building contractors, medium-sized businesses, medical facilities, farms and other agriculture-related enterprises. The list is almost endless.

The attached pictures of the Transporter Canopy as fitted on PGC’s double-cab bakkies as well as the six and eight-seat versions we have available speak for themselves.

Visiting Give Them Hope

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NEWS

RMA AUTOMOTIVE SOUTH AFRICA GOES GREEN

Driving down the dusty, monotone streets of Nellmapius on a winter’s morning, the brightly-painted gate of a small establishment we stop at seems misplaced. As we walk through the gates into a cozy courtyard, everything is quiet. I’m wondering where the orphanage is – have we perhaps just made a pit stop on the way?

 

Today we’re visiting Give Them Hope, a registered, independent, non-government, and non-profit organization.  Staff members at RMAA South Africa put forward the foundation when asked who they felt would best benefit from the organisation’s CSR budget.

Nellmapius is considered one of the poorest areas on the outskirts of Silverton, Pretoria.

We walk into a sparsely furnished, yet welcoming lounge, where a young lady is cleaning the floor and keeping a close eye on a huge pot of macaroni on the boil.  We are greeted and invited to sit and wait for Mrs Pinky Mothiba.

Pinky arrives with warm hugs for all of us, although she has only ever previously met one of us.  A lady, slight in stature but with an energy that oozes from every pore.  She’s already moving things here and there so that I can start taking pictures.

We’re taken on a tour, where Pinky proudly shows us the facilities.  A tiny room with three beds stacked tightly together and some random furniture squashed into a corner is home to teenage boys – they’re across the courtyard from the girls and babies as “teenage boys need their privacy”.  Next door, a double bed just fits into a room for the pre-teen boys.  If memory serves three boys share the bed here.

Across the courtyard, we see rooms with bunkbeds, some toilets, and a larger dormitory-style room for 13 teenage girls.

As we round the corner we are greeted by a sea of young faces, children from the ages of 6 months to 5 years old, all sitting waiting to go and play.  You can hear a pin drop.  They’re curious to see visitors, but nobody speaks.  As we wave to them, we are greeted with enthusiastic waves in return.  While we speak to Pinky about her background and what motivated her to do what she does, the children sit, good as gold waiting for further instruction.

As we chat behind the group of children, a young teacher arrives and recites the days of the week and the children echo ‘Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday….’

We learn that the premises used to be a lucrative tavern – a very popular watering hole in the community but when Pinky first brought in children in need, she realised that alcohol and children were not a good mix. The tavern was closed and the children stayed and over time, more and more children came into Pinky’s care.

There are more than 20 children in Pinky’s permanent care. They live at Give Them Hope. Another 40 children stay with grandparents or older siblings (16 or 17 years old) and come to Give Them Hope during the day. The youngsters are there in the morning, and after school hours, the facility fills up with aftercare children.

As we walk through the kitchen, I am humbled by the ‘healthy menu’ on the wall – a two-week schedule of meals and snacks. Meals are noted down as bread and tea, with snacks of bread and water. Meat is too costly, so it is only served once a week. A bakery donates bread weekly, and Pinky makes whatever funds she has stretch as far as possible with sensible shopping like buying soya instead of meat. With the little that she has, she also provides daily meals within the community to homes that don’t have anything to eat for that day.

The deep freezer which was gratefully accepted when donated by RMAA South Africa late last year, is well taken care of and still looks brand new.  Pinky again expresses her gratitude for the involvement of the organization.  Over and above a few essential donations, RMAA South Africa also provides funding for meals each month and they are working towards providing bursaries and internships for some of the older children who will soon be leaving Give Them Hope to make their way in the world.

I learn that the red and white beads in the hair of a little two-year-old are representative of a Sotho custom to indicate that the child has lost both her parents.

Having seen the office, the play area and the kitchen, the children are finally called out into the yard for activity time.  ‘Head, shoulders, knees and toes’ gets the kids going, but nothing can compete with Baby Shark which really gets every child participating with glee.  

When Pinky joins in with some dance, the kids are eager to follow her moves.  While I am taking everything in and photographing and videoing, I feel a tug on my sleeve.  One of the little ones wants to see what she looks like on the camera.  Her little face lights up when she sees herself dancing on the preview screen.

RMAA SA lead by Brendan Londt, Managing Director, has a firm stance on breaking the poverty cycle by providing opportunities for people to uplift themselves.  When staff members alerted Brendan to the plight of children at Give Them Hope, he together with Masego Everson HR Manager, visited the facility to understand more about their needs and to establish how the organization could contribute in the most meaningful way. 

RMAA South Africa will continue to assist the foundation and encourage anybody else with the means to contribute to help in any way they can.
To quote our own icon, Mr Nelson Mandela, “As long as poverty, injustice, [and] gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.“

New Premises For RMA Automotive South Africa

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NEWS

NEW PREMISES FOR RMA AUTOMOTIVE SOUTH AFRICA

RMA Automotive South Africa (RMAA SA) have moved into their new head office and stand-alone Vehicle Modification Centre, located in the Silverton automotive manufacturing hub Northeast of Pretoria.

The newly refurbished facility of 1,500m² will be dedicated to the development of RMAA SA’s Vehicle Modification Business and the supply of RMA Special Vehicles, including our range of mining-specific vehicles, police canopies, HALO ROPS fitments, and Ambulance conversions.

Located in SAMCOR park, Silverton, the new facility has a manufacturing floor of 950m² and a vehicle storage yard and parts warehouse. Mezzanine Offices, meeting rooms, and the engineering studio complete the total offering. All of RMAA SA’s administrative, HR, and financial operations are housed at the facility.

The Ford Journey Continues.

At the same time, RMAA SA’s Ford Vehicle Personalisation team has relocated to the newly built Ford Motor Company South Africa Vehicle Modification Centre (VMC). The production and quality teams will continue providing accessory fitments to Ford Rangers destined for both local and export markets.

The FMCSA VMC has been designed in preparation for the launch of the new Ford Ranger in South Africa, later this year.  It is conveniently and strategically located in the FMCSA Transport yard for easy access to vehicle carriers and trains to Durban.  The facility boasts a production floor of 2700m² and a 900m² warehouse.

The facility includes a 60m² ‘Squeak and Rattle track’ for additional Quality Assurance.  Not only will our teams have incredible facilities, but all quality tracking and reporting systems are state-of-the-art and completely digitised.

We’re ready!

Brendan Londt, Country Manager for RMAA SA points out, “By expanding to the two facilities we have the ability to continue our relationship with Ford and can also open our vehicle modifications business to other popular South African vehicle brands.”

RMAA SA can deliver outstanding products that are engineered in-house according to our customer’s requirements. Our engineering and manufacturing strengths are now complemented by our ‘fit for purpose’ facility making it the perfect new home for RMA Special Vehicles.

The Ford Journey Continues

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NEWS

NEW PREMISES FOR RMA AUTOMOTIVE SOUTH AFRICA

Following last week’s announcement of the launch of our new RMAA SA Head Office, this Monday the 22nd March 2022 will be remembered as the first day of production in the new FMCSA VMC.

 

This state of the art Modification Centre is the new home to the RMAA SA Production and Quality team as we continue providing accessory fitments to Ford Rangers destined for both local and export markets.

The FMCSA VMC has been designed in preparation for the launch of the new Ford Ranger in South Africa, later this year.  It is conveniently and strategically located in the FMCSA Transport yard for easy access to vehicle carriers and trains to Durban.  The facility boasts a production floor of 2700m² and a 900m² warehouse.

The facility includes a 60m² ‘Squeak and Rattle track’ for additional Quality Assurance.  Not only will our teams have incredible facilities, but all quality tracking and reporting systems are state-of-the-art and completely digitised.

Brendan Londt, Country Manager for RMAA SA says “Over the years it has been an absolute privilege to work with  Ford Motor Company SA and we look forward to another exciting chapter in the new facility.”

RMA Automotive South Africa Opens New Modification Centre

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NEWS

RMA AUTOMOTIVE SOUTH AFRICA OPENS NEW MODIFICATION CENTRE

RMA Automotive South Africa (RMAASA) have moved into their new stand-alone Vehicle Modification Centre.

Located in the Silverton automotive manufacturing hub northeast of Pretoria, the newly purchased 1,500m² facility will be dedicated to the development of RMAASA’s vehicle modification business and supply of RMA Special Vehicles.

At the same time, RMAASA’s Ford Vehicle Personalisation facility will relocate to its newly built premises within Ford Motor Company Southern Africa. It will operate independently from the
Modification Centre.

RMAASA’s new Modification Centre has a single manufacturing floor of 950m 2 , and a storage and parts facility. Offices, meeting rooms, and the engineering studio make up an additional 310m 2 and are located on the upper mezzanine level. All of RMAA-SA’s administrative, HR and financial operations will be housed at the facility with twelve permanent staff having been relocated here.

Brendan Londt, Country Manager for RMAASA points out, “We are ready to partner with any of the South African OEMs, fleet owners and dealers. We can deliver outstanding products that are engineered in house according to our customer’s requirements. Our engineering and manufacturing strengths are now complemented by our ‘fit for purpose’ facility making it the perfect new home for RMA Special Vehicles”.

The additional production space and parking will raise output capacity significantly compared to the previous facility which had been located within Ford Motor Company, and with the added benefit of now being able to work on all brands of vehicles. Outdoor vehicle storage is available for up to twenty vehicles in front of and behind the building.

RMAASA recently achieved BBBEE Level 4 status which enables it to bid for lucrative Government and parastatal vehicle tenders as well as on a wider range of jobs partnering with other BBBEE compliant customers.

RMAASA has long standing relationships with many OEMs and fleet owners and has a long track record of producing a range of special vehicles such as mine site vehicles, security and police vehicles for the South African market.

 

RMA Automotive SA Modify Mining Vehicles For Seriti Coal

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CASE STUDIES

4WD CONVERSIONS GAME SURVEILLANCE VEHICLES

RMA Automotive South Africa are currently fulfilling an order to add safety equipment to 57 Ford Rangers for Seriti Coal. This is being done in partnership with Eastvaal Ford Secunda, with whom we have a longstanding business relationship.

The order consists of the modification of 47 double cab and 10 single cab vehicles to be used on the Kriel and New Vaal Open Cast Coal Mines. These have been modified in line with the SA Class Three Light Mining Vehicle Specifications with additional features requested by the customer. In addition, all double cab vehicles have been fitted with the HALO ROPS system.

The HALO is developed to be the most effective and economical means of mitigating deaths and injuries in rollover crashes. It consists of an optimized tubular structure mounted on the vehicle roof similar to a roof rack in combination with internal pillar reinforcements that stay within the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) plastic trim to maintain the interior space and appearance. The ultimate goal of the HALO ROPS is to protect the occupants of vehicles against injury or death in the event of the vehicle rolling.

By using RMAA-SA, a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) to fulfil the order, Seriti benefit by retaining their full OEM warranty, despite the high degree of modification.

Seriti is a broad-based, 91% black-owned and controlled South African energy company, underpinned by coal.

RMAA-SA Team Fulfil Largest Ever Canopies Order

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CASE STUDIES

RMAA-SA TEAM FULFIL LARGEST EVER CANOPIES ORDER

In mid 2020, RMA Automotive South Africa received its largest ever large order of over 900 units of police vehicle canopies to be assembled and shipped to Durban. In a time of exceptionally high unemployment and with more and more people struggling to put food on the table as a result of the pandemic, this order could not have come at a better time.

Our exceptional assembly team got stuck in, working off-site in Rosslyn, and within just 4 months, had assembled and shipped the final products as partial assembly and flat pack.

Not only did our team do an excellent job in record time, but they accomplished this while working full time with masks and the appropriate social distancing to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

In total, RMAA SA supplied 1024 Toyota SAPS Steel Canopies in 2020, thanks to the ongoing commitment of the team.