Sarens is expanding its heavy lifting capabilities in Southern Africa with a new range of XCMG cranes, including a 1,300-tonne capacity XLC18000M crawler crane.
The XLC18000M will be the first of the newly ordered cranes to arrive in South Africa and is scheduled to begin work at a wind farm near Cape Town. Following the project, the crane will be deployed on mining and petrochemical operations across Africa. Sarens’ wider crawler crane order covers capacities from 400 to 1,300 tonnes.
The investment also includes XCA260H, XCA160H and XCA100H all-terrain cranes, QY85KH truck cranes and XCR55L5H and XCR90 rough-terrain cranes. The different models will provide additional capacity for projects ranging from wind energy and industrial construction to mining, infrastructure and oil and gas.
Sarens has also ordered forklifts with capacities from 0.5 to 32 tonnes, manlifts reaching between 30 and 50 metres and telehandlers with capacities from five to 12 tonnes.
The fleet expansion follows a long-term global strategic agreement between Sarens and XCMG, reinforced by a bulk purchase contract and joint R&D plan signed in March 2026. The collaboration covers product development, field applications, smart technologies and lifecycle services.
New technologies incorporated into the equipment include operational AI, fuel-saving systems and features designed to reduce assembly times, helping Sarens improve efficiency across demanding heavy lifting projects.
“The addition of this fleet is a significant step forward for heavy lifting in Southern Africa, enabling us to better serve wind energy, petrochemical, mining, and construction projects with greater capability and confidence,” said Tim Biesemans, Regional Director – Southern Africa at Sarens.
