Solevo is proud to announce that Rolfes Water, a member of the Solevo Group, has been awarded the Total Water Management contract for the Isuzu Motors manufacturing plant in Gqeberha, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. The multi-year agreement begins on 1 November 2026.
Water treatment across the full production cycle.
The Gqeberha plant is the first fully owned Isuzu manufacturing plant outside Japan, and is a key manufacturing hub for the Isuzu D-Max range of bakkies and the assembly of medium, heavy, and extra heavy trucks. These vehicles are sold both locally and across the African continent.
Under the contract, Rolfes Water will manage water treatment across the full production cycle. Incoming water is treated by reverse osmosis to meet the exacting quality standards of vehicle manufacturing. Rolfes Water will also handle detackification of the spray booth process water, treatment of the cooling systems to control scale, corrosion, and microbiological activity, and effluent treatment to meet local bylaw standards. Bringing these services together under one integrated program gives the plant a single, accountable partner for its water performance.
Sustainability is built into the scope of the partnership. By treating effluent and recovering clean water from the spray booths, Rolfes Water will help reduce the plant’s environmental footprint. The Rolfes Water team will also investigate projects to reuse water on site and lower the volume of water needed to build each vehicle. In a water-stressed region, these initiatives offer lasting benefits for the plant, the community, and the environment.
“The key to any efficient manufacturing process is the reduction of waste, the scope of this project allows Rolfes Water to expand our offering to OEM’s to include not only detackification and sludge removal of water-based and solvent-based paint systems, but also to be responsible to ensure the strict cleanliness of the infrastructure involved in the passage of water from the spray wall to the sludge recovery area. This in turn increases the efficiency of the sludge removal process which ultimately reduces the waste having to be removed from site.”
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“Rolfes Water plays a vital role in vehicle manufacturing, delivering water treatment solutions that support sustainable practices and environmental responsibility. With the Isuzu award, we are now the market leader in South Africa’s automotive sector, and we look forward to providing Total Water Management to more automotive manufacturers across the continent.”
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About Solevo Group:
The Solevo Group is a leading distribution platform for specialty chemicals and partners to farmers, businesses, industrial leaders and communities across Africa. Established in 1918, Solevo operates locally in eleven countries, including the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Angola, Ghana, Madagascar, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa. Solevo serves a diverse spectrum of industries, from agriculture and food production to home and personal care, CASE & Construction, and Water treatment.
Driven by the belief that self-sufficiency and local industry growth are integral to Africa’s development, Solevo is dedicated to supporting the continent’s dynamic transformation. The company is committed to developing efficient, innovative, sustainable and high-quality products, services and solutions for African farmers, planters, entrepreneurs and industries. Solevo’s overarching mission is to contribute to a safer, healthier and more secure future for individuals and communities across Africa.