Vipal Rubber, one of the world’s largest rubber manufacturers for tyre retreading, carried out an institutional visit to Mandela Group and to the retreader City Tyres in Uganda, East Africa. The visit strengthened the relationship with its local partner and included a strategic meeting with regional fleet operators. City Tyres, part of the Mandela Group, currently operates an almost exclusively Vipal-based product portfolio that is almost entirely comprised of Vipal products, consolidating the partnership and trust in the company’s technology.
Technical Event by Vipal Brings Operators Together
The event, held in early February, was attended by 15 guest companies and the client’s entire technical-commercial team. The programme also included technical presentations focused on raising awareness of the benefits of tyre retreading, good maintenance practices, maximising operating efficiency, and reducing CPK (Cost per Kilometre). The meeting was closed with a dinner at the Mandela Group’s facilities.
Felipe Henzel, Commercial Director of International Markets and Two-Wheels Division; Fabricio Nedeff, Commercial Manager of Vipal EMEA; and Alfonso Ibañez, Commercial Responsible for the Middle East and Africa region, represented Vipal at the event.
For Felipe Henzel, the initiative stresses the company’s commitment to the sustainable development of the global retreading market. “Being close to our partners is crucial for us to understand the local demands and support the structured business growth. Events like this reinforce the strength of the partnership between Vipal and the Mandela Group, promoting technical knowledge, operating efficiency, and concrete results for the fleets.”
Evelyn Tabitha, Manager, Truck Sales at Mandela Group, commented that the meeting was strategic for strengthening relations and advancing clients’ technical evolution.
“It was a great moment for us at Mandela Group, City Retread, to reconnect with our clients and our business partners, Vipal from Brazil. We had engaging discussions on tyre solutions, proper maintenance, maximising efficiency and profitability, and ensuring our clients achieve the lowest Cost per Kilometre (LCPK). Our CEO, Venkatesh Kumar, also shared valuable insights on the Broken Windows strategy, the invisible engine (drivers) and the power of partnerships. We are confident that implementing these learnings will drive growth for both our customers and our organisation.”
Fabrício Nedeff highlights the region’s strategic relevance. “Africa is a market with great potential for expansion in tyre retreading, and the joint operation with solid partners such as the Mandela Group strengthens our long-term strategy. Our goal is to continuously contribute with technology, training and technical support, ensuring that clients achieve the lowest cost per kilometre with safety and high performance.”
Among the attendees, Moses Ejoku, Workshop Lead at DHL Supply Chain International, highlighted the practical results from Vipal technology.
“This is to appreciate the entire City Tyre, City Retreads and Vipal companies, thank you for always bringing us to learn and to understand why we should deal with City Tyre. I also want to extend my appreciation to Vipal for the great improvement in the rubber for retreads. I have used this for quite a while now, and it has done the best. I can even share some pictures of the retreads that are coming back for the 3rd life; they have gone for more than 50,000 km. Through the training, I learnt that the more you care about your tyres, the more mileage you get.”
The visit reaffirms Vipal’s commitment to working closely and collaboratively with its partners, promoting innovation, technical qualification, and sustainable growth in different markets around the world.
