As Africa ascends, elevator sector booms

Many large Chinese contractors have moved to Africa to cash in on the continent's need for government buildings, hotels, stadiums and residential blocks. That means more elevators.

"Because many elevator producers in Europe and the US are still focusing on Asia and South America, this offers Shenyang Brilliant Elevator an opportunity to diversify and expand its services and sales channels in Africa," Cong said

Shenyang Brilliant Elevator is working with large State-owned enterprises - such as China Communications Construction Co, China State Construction Engineering Corp and China Road and Bridge Corp - to expand in Africa.

Power outages are common in some sub-Saharan African countries, so a big challenge for elevator companies is to cope with that situation and reduce energy use.

For example, Shenyang Brilliant Elevator puts extra storage batteries in its elevators.

Zhao said rising demand for elevator repair and maintenance has provided Brilliant with another avenue for increasing its business. About 220,000 units that need maintenance are installed in Africa, he said.

Countries such as Kenya, Malawi and South Africa have strict regulations on maintenance. Their standards are helping drive the industry.

"It's hard to say what the average life cycle for elevators in Africa is," Zhao said. "But most Chinese-made units can be used for between 30 and 35 years if are they properly maintained and serviced."

Many elevators in Africa are fairly new, he said.

Cong said: "We want to be a service-oriented company instead of just making and installing equipment."

In Africa, where customers are sensitive to price, third-party maintenance is usually the cheapest, but original equipment suppliers normally provide the best service, Cong said.

Both kinds of service have their place and should be supported to promote a market where fair pricing and competition rule, he said.