Demand for the Dezzi MG80T motor grader from KwaZulu-Natal specialised heavy earthmoving machinery manufacturer Dezzi Equipment has steadily increased since its launch in 2001, with minimal advertising, says Dezzi MD Carl Gutzeit.

“We normally carry stock of two to three units. However, we have experienced a recent surge in sales, resulting in units being sold before production can start. This is owing to a recently revised dealership structure that offers greatly increased benefits from the factory.”

Developed to fill a gap in the market for a small, cost-effective grader for maintenance of small to medium roads, the operating cost of the MG80T is much less than that of traditional large graders on the market, says Gutzeit.

“The initial development of the MG80T took about eight months, but constant product improvement over the first six to eight years has resulted in an extremely reliable and robust product. We have numerous models running with an excess of 25 000 hours and very few used graders come up for sale, indicating that customers who buy new, generally hold on to their MG80Ts for many years. We have also introduced a few face lifts, which were mainly cosmetic,” he explains, adding that exceptionally few challenges were faced during the grader’s development.

With estimated local content of 85%, the MG80T is manufactured at Dezzi’s Port Sheptsone plant, where 122 staff members contribute to the grader’s production in some way.

Dezzi can produce up to 250 units a year, but Gutzeit says the company’s factory is not running at full capacity on this model, owing to greater demand for its other product lines.

“We have also experienced some manufacturing challenges this year, but by far the biggest is the slowdown in international shipping. Sharp steel price increases and a general lack of steel supply have also been some of the bigger challenges we’ve seen. These challenges are ongoing, but we are managing them.”

Regardless, Dezzi has produced numerous MG80T graders for the domestic market this year, as well as for export into the rest of Africa to markets that its competitors have struggled or failed to penetrate. The company’s most recent delivery was to Eswatini last month.

Deliveries vary greatly owing to staggered production, which involves eight to ten months of forecasting for overseas parts suppliers and a manufacturing schedule for the local factory that is planned about three to four months ahead of time. Actual build time is about two to three weeks, while MG80Ts built to order normally take about eight to ten weeks.

Founded in 1973 by Desmond and Louise Gutziet, Dezzi also offers custom colour paint schemes and the customisation of graders to suit any customer’s needs. Following delivery, MG80T owners can rely on Dezzi’s in-house spare parts department, which guarantees 100% spare parts availability 24 hours a day, to help keep their graders operating effectively.