Reliable sources tell TechEye that one of the biggest IT distributors in the world will leave South Africa in the next three months as its joint venture expires. Ingram Micro will not renew its JV, we have learned.
That will leave a hole in the South African market that will need to be filled but at press time it's totally unclear which distributor will fill it, if any.
Another reliable source told TechEye that distribution of processors from both AMD and Intel are in jeopardy. AMD has shut down all of its staff in the country and Intel is down to one or two people, if that and part time.
South Africa, of course, is part of the umbrella organisation called "Europe, Middle East and Africa". Africa being South Africa.
A bemused reseller told TechEye: "There is plenty of business here and we don't understand why neither AMD nor Intel are taking account of the existing business."
Some dealers are looking to Indian company Sahara for succour the SA market but it seems Sahara is now more interested in uranium mines than PCs.
None of the above could be contacted for comment.
.jpg){kind=icon}
Besides, AMD and Intel have more than one African distributor.
Ill-informed gibberish - and what the hell is a distribliautor?
MB Technologies to take full control of Ingram Micro SA
MB Technologies has agreed to acquire the full ownership of Ingram Micro South Africa. The transaction is subject to South African Competitions Board approval, after which it will become effective. An application to the Competitions Board is in the process of being filed.
“MB Technologies has taken this decision given the strategic importance of the components business to the group and the success that has been achieved in building this business over the past three years”, says Glenn Fullerton, CEO of MB Technologies.
He adds “Over this period day to day management has been vested in a strong, fully fledged South African management team and this team will continue to grow the proposed full MB Technologies subsidiary. The transaction will have no effect on the day to day operations of the Group’s components business.”
The company has grown strongly over the last three years and has earned recognition from the channel for customer service and the international vendors for the growth achieved. Recently the company won the African Distributor of the Year award at the EMEA Channel Academy Awards 2010 in Monaco.
The company will be re-branded in the months to come to reflect its new status as a fully-owned member of the MB Technologies Group.
The company will continue to primarily be an independent components-focused distributor within the MB Technologies Group and provide its customers and partners with the same level of excellent service as it has in the past.
ENDS
About MB Technologies
MB Technologies, through a majority stake held by Royal Bafokeng Holdings, is the largest black owned supplier of IT products to the South African marketplace. With a history that stretches across the past twenty years, the group includes distribution giants such as Tarsus Technologies, A.C.T.; as well as niche market specialists such as Printacom and ChannelWare.
Through its joint-venture partnership with international distribution giant, Ingram Micro, MB Technologies has staked its claim in the local IT components space, drawing on Ingram Micro¹s economies of scale, international logistics infrastructure and MB Technologies understanding of the local context, to provide superior service and support to the local system builder channel. www.mbt.co.za
Issued by:
Kerne Mackie
puruma business communications
Email: mbt at puruma dot com