MB Technologies has agreed to acquire the full ownership of Ingram Micro South Africa. The transaction is subject to South African Competitions Board approval, after which it will become effective. An application to the Competitions Board is in the process of being filed.

“MB Technologies has taken this decision given the strategic importance of the components business to the group and the success that has been achieved in building this business over the past three years”, says Glenn Fullerton, CEO of MB Technologies.

He adds “Over this period day to day management has been vested in a strong, fully fledged South African management team and this team will continue to grow the proposed full MB Technologies subsidiary. The transaction will have no effect on the day to day operations of the Group’s components business.”

The company has grown strongly over the last three years and has earned recognition from the channel for customer service and the international vendors for the growth achieved. Recently the company won the African Distributor of the Year award at the EMEA Channel Academy Awards 2010 in Monaco.

The company will be re-branded in the months to come to reflect its new status as a fully-owned member of the MB Technologies Group.

The company will continue to primarily be an independent components-focused distributor within the MB Technologies Group and provide its customers and partners with the same level of excellent service as it has in the past.

Acer South Africa has appointed Ingram Micro South Africa as its third distribution partner for the country giving the company access to Acer’s range of desktop and notebook products.       

Ingram Micro South Africa, a  joint venture between South Africa’s largest broad-based technology distributor, MB Technologies and the world’s largest IT distributor, Ingram Micro  will differentiate itself by focusing on growing Acer’s presence in selected niche markets.

Graham Braum, country manager of Acer South Africa says: “This partnership with Ingram Micro South Africa will allow us to cover new key segments of the market by tapping into Ingram’s growing base of resellers and their customers”.

He continues “we are particularly excited by the focus Acer will receive from Ingram Micro South Africa as the only top-tier international hardware brand in its product portfolio. Ingram Micro is one of Acer’s biggest distribution partner’s in EMEA and it makes sense to bring that highly successful relationship to South Africa.”

Ingram Mcro South Africa entered the market as a focused components distributor servicing South Africa’s system builder, upgrade and ‘white-box’ channels. However, these dealers have reported growing demand from their customers for access to complete systems from a tier one PC brand, especially in the SMEE market.

“Although we will retain our focus on this growing and vital part of the South African technology reseller channel, we are answering their need for a complementary range of products from an international PC brand,” says Hansie Fourie, CEO of Ingram Micro.

“It made sense for us to look towards Acer South Africa as a partner because of the significant and long standing relationship that exists between our international parent companies.”

Ingram Micro South Africa does not plan to take on any additional international PC brands and will focus only on the Acer products in its completed systems product portfolio. In the future, Ingram Micro South Africa may look to offer its resellers a choice of Acer server and storage products, in addition to the desktop, LCD, projector and notebook ranges it will supply with immediate effect.

Tarsus, a MB Technologies subsidiary, will continue to serve as a broad-based distributor for Acer while Ingram Micro South Africa will keep its focus on selected vertical markets in its existing dealer base.

“MB Technologies is delighted to broaden its important and strategic relationship with Acer South Africa,” says Glenn Fullerton, CEO of the MB Technologies Group. “This new agreement between Ingram Micro South Africa and Acer allows the joint venture to enhance its offering by adding an international tier one highly respected completed product range to its vertical market and further strengthens the MB Technologies Group’s relationship with Acer”.