Johannesburg, South Africa / Nairobi, Kenya – Alterra Capital Partners (“Alterra”) is pleased to announce a strategic investment in Cobra Group Holdings (“Cobra”), partnering with the founder and CEO to support continued growth across Africa and the rest of the world.
Cobra, which includes Cobra Projects, Cobra Fire, and Cobra Tech, is the leading designer and manufacturer of customized mining support and firefighting vehicles across Africa, as well as the largest manufacturer of hose reels on the continent. Established in 1986 in Johannesburg, and serving customers across Africa, Australia, and the Middle East, Cobra specializes in modifying original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) chassis cabs by constructing and assembling unique and specialized vehicle bodies suited for mining support, firefighting, and emergency response use cases (e.g. customized service units, water bowsers, firefighting vehicles). In addition, Cobra is recognized as a world leader in flow path technology, producing some of the most robust and heavy-duty hose reels globally.
With a reputation built on quality engineering and dependable customer support, Cobra’s highly specialized vehicles and hose reels are constructed to perform in the toughest environments, and are critical enablers of operational productivity and workplace safety for its customers and their workers. At a time when South Africa and many other countries across the continent are facing aging infrastructure and emergency vehicle shortages, Cobra’s manufacturing capabilities provide an essential solution that saves lives and protects communities.
Cobra is also deeply committed to driving inclusive economic growth via the creation of high-quality local manufacturing jobs, contribution to skills development, and growth of local industrial capacity in South Africa.
Renschke Volschenk, Partner at Alterra, stated: “We are excited to partner with the team at Cobra for the next phase of growth, building upon their historic success as a market leader in a niche, yet indispensable, industry. Cobra is an excellent business with strong fundamentals that really drives impact across the continent. This is the exactly the kind of high-growth, differentiated and resilient B2B business Alterra seeks to back.”
Donovin Cronning, Founder of Cobra, commented: “Since our founding in 1986, we’ve built Cobra with a focus on engineering excellence, customer trust, and impact. Partnering with Alterra marks an exciting new chapter – one that allows us to accelerate growth, deepen our footprint across Africa and beyond, and continue delivering critical solutions that improve safety and productivity in some of the world’s toughest working environments.”
Commenting on the partnership, Lloyd Darby, CEO of Cobra said: “We’re thrilled to join forces with Alterra as we expand into new markets and scale our capabilities. Their experience in manufacturing and growth-oriented partnerships will help us unlock new value for our customers, while remaining true to our mission of delivering specialized, high-quality vehicles that support local industry, safety, and economic development.”
The company’s growth strategy includes expansion into new geographic markets and industry verticals, while leveraging technology and data integration to further drive productivity, efficiency, and safety for customers. As a growth-focused investor, Alterra brings deep expertise in manufacturing, business services and technology across the continent to support Cobra’s future initiatives.
The transaction has received all regulatory approvals. Lead advisors to Alterra included Bowman Gilfillan Inc. (legal and competition), Deloitte (financial and tax) and IBIS Consulting (ESG). Lead advisors to Cobra Group Holdings were Deal Leaders International (DLI) (transaction) and Angus Findlay & Associates (legal).