INEOS Automotive acquisition brings specialist vehicle conversion in-house
INEOS Automotive’s acquisition of Kavango Engineering has expanded this renowned brand and brought specialist vehicle conversion capability in-house.
INEOS Automotive has become an even larger powerhouse with the acquisition of Botswana-based Kavango Engineering, one of southern Africa’s most respected and established vehicle conversion specialists. This business has been rebranded as INEOS Kavango, solidifying its place within the INEOS family.
Located conveniently in Maun, northern Botswana, at the gateway to the Okavango Delta, one of Africa’s last great natural sanctuaries, INEOS Kavango’s 5000sqm premises is equipped with extensive fabrication and assembly facilities. The INEOS Kavango team, a workforce of 70 highly skilled professionals, currently completes approximately 200 conversions each year. Key members of the original Kavango Engineering team will continue to be an integral part of the operation.
Going forward, INEOS Kavango plans to expand its current activities to also cover ground-up conversions and ongoing maintenance of Grenadier Station Wagon and Grenadier Quartermaster pickups for a wide range of uses. These conversions include extensive specialist modifications for the conservation, safari, anti-poaching, veterinary, primary healthcare and film production sectors. To accommodate its expected business growth, INEOS Kavango has earmarked land adjacent to its current facility for future development. This will effectively double the scale of its operations.
As a proof of concept, in late 2022 INEOS Kavango created a Safari Grenadier from a donor production prototype vehicle. The engineering modifications were minimal, with a primary focus on slightly raising the ride height and relocating the Station Wagon’s roof-mounted switchgear to the centre console. The original roof was replaced with a lightweight roll-back canvas top with a foldable windscreen, and the usual tiered ‘amphitheatre’ seating was added to maximise passengers’ visibility.
“This acquisition will help INEOS Automotive realise the vision of INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe for the Grenadier to play a key role in critical conservation and environmental programs worldwide,” said Lynn Calder, CEO of INEOS Automotive. “Bringing the Kavango team in-house also means it can work closely with our engineering and manufacturing teams to optimise processes to supply conversion-ready vehicles so we can better serve these specialist use cases worldwide.”
Charles van Rensburg, the CEO of INEOS Kavango said: “Botswana is recognised as a global leader in conservation, and we will continue to support its work and that of other countries and organisations across Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, there are a broad range of opportunities across other sectors that always need durable, capable offroad vehicles with purpose-built bodies to perform specific roles. Our objective is to sustainably grow the business over the long term. That means developing a broader portfolio of services, adding further high-skilled jobs and diversifying the local economy to the benefit of the community.”
To find out more about INEOS Automotive, head to its website.
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