The Government Printing Works (GPW) has awarded a significant contract to Shumani Industrial Equipment to supply 28 electric forklifts to its facilities nationwide, with delivery scheduled for September 2025.
The equipment will be distributed to various GPW offices, including those in Limpopo, Eastern Cape, North West and Gauteng. “Shumani was awarded the contract to deliver electric forklifts to various offices of the GPW around the country,” explains Shumani MD Victor Nemukula.
The order comprises mostly 3.5t, 2.5t and 1.8t electric forklifts, some fitted with specialised bail clamps to carry large volumes of paper. The GPW prints most government material, including passports. The equipment is mostly used in carrying bales of paper and therefore special attachments were required.
Highlighting the importance of the project, Nemukula adds: “It is a milestone for Shumani as we do not regard the GPW as just a customer but a strategic partner in providing much needed services to the people of South Africa. We are excited to play our civic duty to partner with the government to be involved at the department that plays its role in the economic growth.”
Supporting a high-security operation such as GPW requires reliability and efficiency. “The role of Shumani is to provide uptime to GPW to ensure that their equipment is available at least 95% of the time. We also provide them with 24/7/365-day availability to offer all aftermarket support,” says Nemukula.
Shumani has also committed to comprehensive after-sales service. “We have a national footprint to offer support around the country within 2-hours of a call. We’re available 24-hours a day, every day including public holidays. We are a partner that is available all the time to ensure that their operations run without disruptions. As an OEM, we offer OEM parts to ensure the equipment’s life is extended without downtime,” says Nemukula.
As a 58% black-owned, B-BBEE Level 1 business, Shumani places high value on public sector partnerships. “Public sector opportunities are very important as they bring us closer to offering services to South Africans,” says Nemukula.
Reflecting on Shumani’s broader growth trajectory, Nemukula comments: “Shumani continues to grow into the strategic sector of the economy, touching lives. For us it’s not about forklifts but the impact that our equipment makes in people’s lives.”
He adds: “Shumani has built a solid foundation in its business to continue to offer value to its customers, from having the first ever branded South African forklift, reach stacker, and empty container handler, namely Bheka. We are the only forklift business of scale that has its own South African branded forklift. This brand is part of South African culture. We have built a team of highly qualified and skilled technicians around the country to offer services to our customers,” concludes Nemukula.
