Knorr-Bremse South Africa has broadened its operational mandate across the African continent, enabling rail operators in most African countries to engage directly with its South African office. This strategic development eliminates the need for customers to route requests through international offices, significantly reducing turnaround times and allowing for more agile, responsive service.
"With our expanded responsibility across the continent, we’re bringing Knorr-Bremse’s global expertise closer to our African customers - ensuring faster turnaround times, direct engagement, and solutions tailored to local operating conditions," says Andrae Nieuwoudt, General Manager at Knorr-Bremse South Africa.
A member of the global Knorr-Bremse Group, the South African subsidiary was established in 1969 as a sales office serving both the rail and commercial vehicle sectors. By 1973, it had evolved into a local manufacturing hub, supporting the domestic market. Today, the company operates a modern, fully equipped facility in Spartan, Kempton Park, servicing both local and regional demands.
Knorr-Bremse South Africa leverages the full breadth of the group’s technology portfolio, offering a wide array of systems - from integral brake solutions and compressors to door mechanisms and electronic control units. Products supported by the South African operation include:
- Air management systems such as compressors, air dryers and vacuum pumps
- Brake systems including EPCUs, such as CCBII, tread brake units, DB60 and KE freight brake control valves, brake cylinders and valves
- Control systems such as car control devices (CCDs), vigilance computers, slack adjusters, brake cylinders and other mechanical brake components
- Many of these components are certified to AAR and/or UIC standards.
The company also operates two in-house service centres. The Rail Service Centre handles the repair and refurbishment of electronic equipment like EPCUs, LCDMs, EBVs, computerised single car testers and vigilance computers. Meanwhile, the Mechanical Service Centre focuses on equipment such as VV64, VV230 and VV450 compressors, exhausters, air brake control modules (BCMs), and tread brake units.
Knorr-Bremse South Africa is certified to internationally recognised standards, including ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, OHSAS 18001:2007, and the International Railway Industry Standard (IRIS).
A recent example of the company’s expanded regional engagement was the refurbishment of 24 brake units from Camrail, the national railway operator of Cameroon. These units were processed entirely through the Spartan facility, showcasing the company’s capacity to support operators well beyond South Africa’s borders.
Today, Knorr-Bremse South Africa supports almost the entire African rail market, with the exception of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Mauritania, which is supported from Italy.
"With our advanced local manufacturing and service capabilities, we’re not just supplying products - we’re providing certified, end-to-end support that rail operators across Africa can rely on," concludes Nieuwoudt.
As investment in African rail infrastructure continues to rise, Knorr-Bremse South Africa is well-positioned to play a central role in supporting safer, more efficient, and modernised rail systems across the continent.
Knorr-Bremse South Africa will be exhibiting at the upcoming Southern African Railways Association Conference and Exhibition, taking place from 26 to 28 August 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre. The company will also host the official technical tour at its Spartan facility on 25 August.
To find out more, connect with https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrae-nieuwoudt-1999693b/?originalSubdomain=za
