As Africa’s urbanization accelerates, tower cranes are playing a pivotal role in shaping the continent’s skyline. Nevertheless, manufacturers face tight competition, currency constraints and diverse customer requirements across the region.
With tower cranes serving as key drivers of urbanization and development in Africa, manufacturers are seeing rising demand. However, intense competition and factors like foreign currency availability can create hurdles for importers.
Carina El Rkaiby, Manitowoc’s regional sales manager for the Middle East, Africa, and CIS, shares that the African tower crane market is experiencing significant growth in 2024.
“This growth stems from increasing urbanization with projects like high-rise buildings, public housing, and civil infrastructure,” she says. “The growth pockets are small but highly competitive.”
Key markets for Potain include South Africa, where demand has surged post-election. “We see the government prioritizing projects like educational facilities, public housing, and infrastructure.”
In Egypt, despite FX struggles, there are signs of improvement, according to El Rkaiby. Residential projects and high-rises are also fueling demand in Kenya and the Ivory Coast. “In East Africa, particularly Tanzania, Potain cranes are building a hydroelectric power plant,” she adds.
Feedback from Potain’s dealers and key clients highlights improved utilization rates. “After years of low demand, rental companies that managed their fleets well are now stronger, building competitive product offerings,” says El Rkaiby.
On the owner-operator side, many African markets have traditionally relied on used equipment, which can be influenced by cyclical trends. “With Europe experiencing a slowdown, many idle cranes have made their way to Africa,” she explains.
Nonetheless, rising concerns about safety, reliability, and utilization are increasing the demand for new cranes. “We’re seeing growing interest in cranes, particularly in the 5-8 tonne range, such as our MCT85, MCT135, and MCT185 models,” she notes. These are topless slewing cranes known for their compact and versatile design.
Launched in 2021, the MCT135 is available in 6 or 8 tonne capacities, with a 60-meter maximum jib length and a height under hook of up to 50.9 meters.
This crane can be erected in less than 1.5 days on a well-prepared site, with the top section and full jib transportable in just five containers, reducing costs for transport and setup. Its compact form makes it ideal for operating alongside other cranes on urban construction or infrastructure sites.
El Rkaiby also reports demand for larger cranes, including 12-tonne, 16-tonne, 25-tonne, and 40-tonne models, especially for special projects in Ivory Coast and Tanzania.
“Customers appreciate Potain cranes for their ease of installation, innovative technology, and efficient load charts,” she says. “Our cranes are user-friendly, easy to maintain, and come with excellent after-sales support, ensuring high demand, strong ROI, and high residual value if sold post-project.”
Navigating Africa’s diversity, with its 54 countries, poses challenges for any OEM. El Rkaiby emphasizes that Potain’s full range offers the flexibility in products, configurations, and price points needed to meet diverse customer needs.
“We offer full-service contracts, covering everything from erection to disassembly,” she says. “Extended warranties also provide peace of mind to operators.”
For clients with urgent timelines or limited budgets, Potain provides a wide range of used cranes from both Europe and Asia. These cranes can be sold ‘as is’ or refurbished with a warranty. Potain’s EnCORE program refurbishes used cranes to a factory-approved standard, allowing them to be sold with a warranty.
“Our used crane programs enable customers to market and transfer cranes globally through our platform. Potain remains by our customers’ side throughout the process, ensuring safe, reliable operations,” she says.
A challenging region
Discussing regional sales, Rui Andrade, Liebherr’s Area Sales Manager for Africa, highlights the diversity of customer needs across different countries and segments on the continent.
“In less developed regions, speed isn’t a top concern, particularly in construction. There’s a preference for simple, low-cost equipment,” says Andrade.
“In contrast, sectors like mining, energy, and shipyards demand the same high standards seen globally. This diversity makes the African market particularly challenging.”
Liebherr meets these needs by focusing on productivity and jobsite performance.
“We closely engage with customers during product development to ensure we address their specific requirements,” Andrade notes.
One of Liebherr’s top-selling models is the NC-B 12-70 tower crane, produced at its India factory. This flat-top crane has a 12-tonne lift capacity and a 70-meter maximum radius. Key features include high accuracy for load positioning, durable construction, and a control system with limit switches, as well as the largest working radius in its class.
“The NC-B 12-70 is cost-effective, with lower operational expenses, reduced energy consumption, easy maintenance, and fewer spare parts needs, all while maintaining Liebherr’s hallmark efficiency and performance,” says Andrade.
Self-erecting cranes are another innovation for which Liebherr is known. While Algeria frequently uses the 81K and 125K models, Andrade notes that self-erecting cranes are less common elsewhere in Africa, usually appearing only when European contractors bring them in.
Used Liebherr cranes, particularly models from 5 to 12 tonnes, are sought after due to their global reputation for quality and reliability. “These cranes remain highly valued because customers know they can operate them for many more years,” Andrade says.
Service and support are essential to keeping cranes running and ensuring reliability. Liebherr is focused on delivering a high level of support to customers, with a “multi-faceted approach focused on reliability, responsiveness, and value,” says Andrade.
That includes dedicated customer support teams who are available 24/7 via multiple channels, as well as worldwide availability of certified technicians so that support “is available whenever needed and wherever the equipment is located,” he says.
Looking ahead to the business outlook, Andrade says that infrastructure investment, construction trends, and economic factors will drive demand for tower cranes in 2024. “Governments are focusing on infrastructure, which should boost demand. The residential and commercial sectors remain strong as well.”
Global factors like inflation, interest rates, and geopolitical stability also influence the crane market, he explains. “In Africa, key markets include South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Libya, Kenya, and Egypt, though currency shortages continue to limit imports.”