SKF Secures Long Term Metals Industry Tender by Leveraging Competitive Pricing and Global Expertise

SKF South Africa has once again reinforced its position as a trusted partner to the metals industry, securing a major three year tender with one of South Africa’s prominent steel manufacturers. The agreement, which came into effect in July 2026 and runs until 2028, covers strategic product ranges which include SKF tapered roller bearings and metals specific bearings. This milestone underscores SKF’s ability to combine competitive local pricing with global product performance benchmarking, while maintaining close engagement with key decision makers.

In line with the tender requirements, SKF will supply its New Generation E9 BT4 four row tapered roller bearings and VA9B1 metals specific bearings, both critical to caster and reduction mill applications.

SKF’s tapered roller bearings are engineered for durability and reliability, delivering a long service life even under extreme operating conditions. With increased dynamic load ratings of up to 23%, they handle high loads without compromising productivity or safety. Their optimised design ensures low friction torque, reduced noise and vibration and improved running accuracy at higher speeds. By combining advanced materials with precise heat treatment, these bearings achieve high fatigue life, enhanced contamination resistance and superior dimensional stability. “They can also be customised to meet specific requirements such as high speeds, heavy loads, contaminated environments, elevated temperatures or vibratory conditions, making them a versatile solution across demanding applications,” highlights Shailin Govender, SKF Key account manager: Heavy Industries.

SKF’s spherical roller bearings for continuous casters are purpose built to withstand the unique challenges of the casting environment. Manufactured from superior high grade steel, they are designed to prevent unplanned downtime and catastrophic machinery failure.

Their robust construction ensures reliable performance, while the cage design is specifically optimised for low-speed rotation, delivering consistent efficiency in continuous casting machines. Together, these solutions highlight SKF’s commitment to providing the metals industry with bearings that combine resilience, precision, and long-term operational reliability.

By isolating these ranges based on industry focus and sales history, SKF was able to deliver a cost competitive solution aligned with global metals guidelines. “Our ability to balance local competitiveness with global product excellence was a decisive factor in winning this contract,” affirms Govender, highlighting the strength of SKF’s integrated approach.

For the customer, the partnership addresses long standing challenges around procurement risks, unreliable deliveries and inventory duplication. SKF’s commitment to stocking predetermined quantities locally, reviewed annually to optimise costs, ensures reliable supply and reduced downtime. The inclusion of distributor 24/7 support and official SKF supply via on site inventory VMI further minimises planning disruptions and administrative burdens. “Reliability is everything in the metals industry. This contract gives our customer peace of mind that their operations will run without costly interruptions,” Govender adds.

The agreement builds on a customer relationship nurtured by Andre Weyers (previous SKF metals key account manager) over nearly four decades, with continued support from Mohcine Rakhami (Customer Experience Manager – Southern Africa), Maher Khouaja (Industry Leader Metals) and Marjan Trstenjak (GKAM Primetals, Senior Industry and Application Engineer Metals). “Their professional guidance has been instrumental in ensuring SKF’s inclusion in the South African metals industry,” asserts Govender.

Beyond supply, SKF remains committed to offering product and technical training on an ad hoc basis, ensuring optimal performance, efficiency, and extended lifecycle for its bearings.

In securing this tender, SKF has not only reaffirmed its reputation as a reliable supply partner but also demonstrated its ability to reduce total cost of ownership for customers through competitive pricing, inventory optimisation and lifecycle support. The contract represents a long term partnership that strengthens plant reliability while minimising production stoppage risks.

With this milestone, SKF continues to maintain its strategic product line performance in the metals industry, reinforcing its role as a trusted partner for efficiency, reliability and innovation.