Barloworld has entered into, through its Barloworld Equipment division, a 50:50 joint venture transaction with its Caterpillar dealer counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tractafric Equipment. The joint venture, known as Congo Equipment, will service the earthmoving equipment needs of DRC`s copper and cobalt rich Katanga Province. Congo Equipment has been formed on the basis of an agreement between Caterpillar and the two dealers to provide equipment solutions to customers in Katanga Province.

It relies on Barloworld Equipment`s expertise in the southern African mining industry and its strong presence in the adjacent Zambian Copperbelt, from which access to Katanga`s mining territories is relatively easy.

Barloworld Equipment is the Caterpillar dealer for South Africa and neighbouring countries, Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. Tractafric Equipment holds the Caterpillar dealership for the DRC and several other French speaking countries in Africa, namely Gabon, Morocco, Chad, Cameroon, Congo (Brazzaville), Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda and Burundi.

Barloworld Equipment and Tractafric Equipment are currently setting up an administrative centre for the joint venture in Lubumbashi, with a full facility including parts store and workshops to be located in the main copper mining area of Kolwezi.