• Tire manufacturer Bridgestone says it is launching its fleet management software solution in Botswana, the third African country it has expanded the service to.
• The solution, called Webfleet, is also available in Namibia and South Africa and provides telematics, data collection and tracking to road freight vehicles.
• Bridgestone is partnering with Botsawan firm Kgare Digital to facilitate the launch and provide on-the-ground delivery.

Japanese multinational tire manufacturer Bridgestone says it is launching its fleet management solution, Webfleet, in Botswana. The country will be the third African nation where it is making the software solution available, the others being South Africa and Namibia.

According to a press statement sent to Hypertext, Bridgestone is partnering with Botswana firm Kgare Digital to launch the solution in the Southern African country.

“This expansion is set to bring high-end tech skills, much-needed investment and jobs in the country,” the company said in the statement.

“Webfleet’s partnership in Botswana joins the company’s presence in South Africa and Namibia, the first two African markets where Webfleet started to conduct business in order to improve logistics client business efficiency while contributing to the safety of road users,” it added.

Webfleet’s telematics is set to provide a similar service to what is being offered by the company in Namibia to Botswana, from basic vehicle tracking to comprehensive fleet management, including live diagnostic data collection and real-time route optimisation.

Additional advanced solutions, like onboard cameras and other hardware, will be brought in on an as-needed basis, or from customer requests. Bridgestone claims its solution has helped companies in the past to see improvements in fuel and maintenance costs, safer drivers and road users, and a boost in productivity.

Kgare Digital, the on-the-ground team, will provide sales capabilities, training, and delivery of services to Webfleet customers.

Since Botswana is a landlocked country, it imports almost everything its people eat, mainly using road transport through ports connecting it to Namibia and South Africa, its neighbouring states. This is why Webfleet’s launch in the country is so opportune, explains Kgare Digital general manager, Malebogo Busang.

“I think we are at a good state of readiness from a sales perspective and we already have a team of technicians, IT support, finance and other admin functions,” Busang adds.

“Tracking services are still very new to the market, so this team will be part of the vital journey to build advanced capabilities in telematics and the logistics sector.”

“Being part of Bridgestone, we recognised the opportunity to leverage the companies’ large African presence to expand the telematics and connected vehicle solutions we provide as well,” says Webfleet South Africa sales director, Justin Manson.

“With three markets now offering dedicated resources to transport and logistics customers in those markets, we feel it’s the right time to expand earnestly in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region,” he adds.

[Image – Photo by Rodrigo Abreu on Unsplash]