As its regional roll out continues, Neutrik EMEA GmbH has wasted no time in appointing Johannesburg based DWR Distribution to represent the brand throughout South Africa.
“We were looking for a new partner in South Africa and through my network and enquiries, everybody was pointing me towards DWR. You quickly realise that they are a highly respected and established company in South Africa,” explained Christoph Hellmuth RSM, MEA and India. “They submitted a great business proposal, which was very structured including a step-by-step approach to the market. Education is a very big topic for us, and we believe that is mirrored with DWR.”
Managing director of DWR, Duncan Riley, admitted he’d struggled in the past when trying to source connectors and believed that Neutrik deserves better in the region, “We want people in South Africa to understand the benefits of using Neutrik and not just a normal connector – we want to make it the connector of choice and raise brand awareness as we train people and educate the market. We often find that people spend so much money on a console and a rack backstage, and then use cheap equipment in between to connect it all. That goes for installations, live shows and the AV integration market. People are spending so much money on the gear, but with the infrastructure, they’re cutting corners.”
“Within the Neutrik Group, we are rolling out a regional structure, one being EMEA, so within that territory there is a renewed focus on Africa, and specifically a good partner in Southern Africa,” added Chris Neethling, CSO Neutrik AG. “In DWR we have found the right partner: one that has an appreciation for the brands within the Neutrik Group, but also the right network, the right structure and the knowledge to be able to be a perfect fit in terms of really promoting the Neutrik product portfolio throughout South Africa and Southern Africa.”
Along with DWR’s reopening of its Cape Town office and future roadshow events in the pipeline, Riley is keen to ensure that the team maximise all opportunities: “One thing we will be doing is educating the market and training people up, and also be involved in fiber markets. We sell a lot of it, and we want to be present from the repair side too. Neutrik are at the forefront of that technology, and we are well placed to educate the market on moving to fiber. We believe we can take it to the next level.”
