In a major milestone, Liebherr-Africa – Liebherr’s sales & service company based in South Africa – delivered the first ever 240 t class T 264 trucks in Africa to a longstanding customer in South Africa. Deployed at a major zinc mine in 2024, the six trucks Liebherr says are setting the benchmark for operational efficiency and reliability.
Following a fiercely competitive bidding process, Liebherr Africa won the contract to supply the six T 264 trucks to a leading contract mining company. Liebherr itself has not revealed the client names but they have been referenced elsewhere by senior employees at the contractor Mota-Engil, which is operating the trucks as part of its contract at Gamsberg zinc mine in the Northern Cape which is owned by Black Mountain Mining, part of Vedanta Zinc International – BMM also operates a mature underground zinc mine near the town of Aggeneys, 30 km from the Gamsberg operation.
Pierre Berrange, Head of Sales, Mining, Liebherr-Africa says that the sale of the very first T 264 trucks in Africa marks a major milestone for the company and provides a foothold in the fiercely contested 240 t off-highway truck market. “This achievement not only underscores Liebherr-Africa’s capabilities but also plays a pivotal role in generating interest from major mining houses and large-scale contractors. Delivering these first six units to our esteemed customer demonstrates our commitment to excellence in a highly price-sensitive and competitive market – where factors such as pricing, total cost of ownership, reliability and aftermarket support are critical to long-term success.”
When working with the customer to find the best solution for their needs, Liebherr-Africa focused on developing a strong value proposition and crafting a compelling proposal that highlighted the unique strengths of both the T 264 and Liebherr-Africa itself. “What made Liebherr the best choice for our customer was our unique blend of perseverance, strategic foresight and long-standing trust – underpinned by the unified support of the global Liebherr network,” says Berrange. “Liebherr
Africa’s reliability, industry-leading aftersales support and unwavering commitment – built over years of consistent performance – were a decisive advantage.”
Finding this solution for the customer required a combination of the local team’s hard work and deep
understanding of the customer’s operational needs as well as the coordinated efforts of the broader Liebherr Group. Global support – from factory teams to key decision-makers – ensured that the solution offered was not just competitive but was also comprehensive and future-ready, which seamlessly aligned with the customer’s vision for growth and operational efficiency.
According to Jacobus Pietersen, Service Manager, Liebherr-Africa, the trucks are working in one of the most abrasive and challenging sites in the southern hemisphere, hauling various materials, including zinc ore and overburden. In the face of these taxing operating conditions, the T 264 trucks have thus far performed beyond expectations.
“The mine mainly extracts zinc ore. The overburden materials are extremely abrasive and include pyrites, iron oxide and quartz as well as iron and manganese silicates,” explains Pietersen. “Apart from the abrasive nature of the material, conditions here are unforgiving. For context, temperatures in this area can go as high as 45°C during the summer and drop to a frigid 5°C during the winter months. In addition, the district falls in a low rainfall area. The dry conditions, together with the windy environment, result in dusty conditions.”
To date, the six trucks have performed exceptionally well, setting a new benchmark in operational efficiency and reliability, with availability rates up to 95%. To achieve maximum equipment availability and operational reliability, Liebherr-Africa provides a tailor-made, comprehensive onsite support package that includes onsite parts and dedicated support staff.
“The trucks perform as well as they do because of the dedicated and competent team assigned to maintaining them. Our onsite team comprises four technicians and two apprentices. They form an excellent team, geared to make a massive success of this project. Without the team’s hard work and stellar performance, reaching these figures would not have been possible. The team constitutes the cornerstone of the current success that we have experienced with the six trucks,” said Pietersen.
