Webfleet committed to investing in SA for the long haul

• The Bridgestone Mobility Solutions business has evolved to become more than a telematics company.
• Webfleet’s innovations have helped South Africans weather turbulent storms over the years.
• Webfleet remains committed to South Africa and is excited about the future of the country’s mobility sector.

When we launched Webfleet in South Africa 10 years ago, we had no idea that we would go on to share in some of the country’s most memorable milestones, both good and bad. When we began this journey, our vision was to use cloud and data-driven technology to help companies boost productivity and cut costs. However, this vision has expanded exponentially in recent years. We now see our solutions saving lives and supporting countless businesses and households navigating global and uniquely South African challenges.

We've offered parents the peace of mind of knowing that their children are safe during their commute to school, and contributed toward the life-saving efforts of emergency medical teams and armed responders by helping them locate the closest response unit to the scene. We've also helped boost the country's small business economy by enabling entrepreneurs to run their start-ups efficiently and cost-effectively, especially during the pandemic and the recent record-breaking fuel price hikes.

“The South African market is very important to us, as it serves as a launchpad into the rest of the African continent. This is a high priority region for the brand due to its unique and evolving requirements that Webfleet strives to address,” says Raj Bajaj, Vice-President International at Webfleet.

How we’ve helped South Africans navigate some of their toughest challenges

Saying the last few years have been turbulent would be an understatement. The combined crippling effects of the pandemic and the 2021 countrywide riots and looting left countless businesses destroyed, trucks burnt and stock stolen.

However, despite endangering their lives, unsung truck-driving heroes, escorted by police and even ordinary citizens, played an even more crucial role after the KwaZulu-Natal riots by taking to the road to deliver supplies of oxygen, medicines and other essentials to the province.

Their efforts helped South Africans get back on their feet and prevented the economy from coming to a halt.

These heroic stories inspire us to continue providing telematics technology that promotes driver safety, like GPS-based geofencing, which helped countless drivers avoid unsafe areas and even COVID-19 hotspots at the height of the pandemic.

We also realise that most businesses employing these heroes often cannot control external factors threatening their operations and drivers' livelihoods. That's why part of our objective when investing in solutions is to help lessen the blow of challenges like the recent record-high fuel price increases, allowing them to monitor their fuel usage more effectively.

What the future holds for Webfleet in South Africa

Despite the challenges the country has faced over the last two years, this period has also accelerated the adoption of innovative technologies that will future-proof industries throughout South Africa. And we're thrilled to be a part of that exciting journey.

We’ve already identified ways of helping businesses reduce the cost of operating innovations like a fleet of electric vehicles. For example, we're working with electric vehicle experts to drive the electric vehicle model in the fleet business and reduce the total cost of ownership for organisations once this technology rolls out.

Today, Webfleet continues to serve South African businesses with vehicles operating across the continent; however, we realise there's still so much potential in South Africa to drive cutting-edge telematics, IOT, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as electric vehicle technology.

Because of this, we've committed to investing even more in the country with support from our partner, Bridgestone, the world's largest tyre and rubber company. Together, we can build on these developments and reinforce our footprint in the country.