IN what is set to be one of Africa’s biggest branding exercises, fuel giant Caltex is to rename all its service stations in South Africa and Botswana to Astron Energy.
Astron Energy is South Africa’s second-largest petroleum network with over 850 Caltex-branded service stations in SA and Botswana.
The rebrand means Astron Energy becomes the overarching brand across corporate, commercial and retail, and will be the public face of the company at all forecourts and other key sites. Astron Energy said the rebranding is an important step in its ambition to become the biggest fuel brand in South Africa.
The name change follows the 2018 majority acquisition of the former Chevron South Africa Pty (Ltd) by Glencore South Africa Oil Investments (Pty) Ltd, since which time Astron Energy has been operating the Caltex brand under a licence agreement. Astron Energy has now taken the opportunity to consolidate its operations under a single, unifying brand identity.
The existing network of over 850 Caltex service stations in South Africa and Botswana will be rebranded in a phased manner as part of an exciting site refresh and upgrade initiative to be undertaken over the next few years.
Astron Energy Interim CEO, Braam Smit, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine and reinvent ourselves as a leading African energy company with a proud legacy and a very promising future. Astron Energy has a deep commitment to Africa, its people, and the development of the continent. This is an important step in our ambition to become the biggest fuel brand in South Africa.”
Astron Energy’s General Manager: Marketing, Cambridge Mokanyane, commented: “We understand that petroleum companies are increasingly offering more than just fuel at their service stations. Diversification is key. We are putting a lot of work and imagination into both fuel and non-fuel retail offerings. We’re adapting to the changing competitor landscape and our customers’ needs. We’re innovating and unlocking value for all our stakeholders, and making sure the customer experience is front and centre in our new strategy to become the largest player in South Africa.”
Smit said the rebrand is the most significant and exciting change in the South African oil industry in three decades. “We’re moving from managing a brand to owning it. We will continue to offer customers high performance fuels, quality products and great service delivered by excellent people, as well as exciting new offerings and experiences as part of the vibrant, new-look Astron Energy.”
The rebrand to Astron Energy is set to be one of the largest logistical undertakings ever in the Southern African fuel industry and will see:
· A total of 850-plus retail sites in SA and Botswana rebranded
· It will also include the refinery in Cape Town, lubricants manufacturing plant in Durban, 15 terminals, 180 commercial and industrial sites, as well as corporate facilities
Astron Energy said the choice of the new name follows extensive public research by the company to understand what customers are looking for, what their preferences are, and how their local station can meet the changing needs of the customer. Astron Energy is also tracking the most innovative market trends in retail fuel.
FAQs
Why have you decided to change the name of the Caltex brand?
Astron Energy entered the Southern African market when Glencore South Africa Oil Investments purchased a majority stake in the former Chevron SA (Pty) Ltd in 2018, since which time Astron Energy has been operating the Caltex brand under a licence agreement. Astron Energy has now taken the opportunity to consolidate its operations under a single, unifying brand identity.
Who owns Astron Energy?
Glencore owns 72% of Astron Energy South Africa and 100% of Astron Energy Botswana. The remaining 28% of Astron Energy South Africa is held by Off The Shelf Investments (OTS) (23%) and Astron Energy employees (5%).
When will the new brand be launched?
The existing network of over 850 Caltex service stations in South Africa and Botswana, as well as other key sites, will be rebranded in a phased manner as part of an exciting site refresh and upgrade initiative to be undertaken over the next few years. This exercise will commence in the coming months when the new brand is revealed.
Will service stations be closed during the rebrand process?
Our aim is to limit any site closures and disruption to operations, while ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols. However, this may vary from site to site depending on the construction and rebrand work that is required.
What happens to Freshstop and Ucount?
FreshStop remains our convenience store brand and will be available at both New Brand and Caltex branded service stations. Our current loyalty partnership remains with Standard Bank and the UCount Rewards Programme and will also be available at all participating Caltex branded service stations and participating new brand sites. However, launching our new brand and redefining our retail strategy is also an opportunity to review and renew our existing partnerships to refresh our offerings and align to our new brand. It is still early in the process and we will outline any new plans in due course.
What products, programmes and services will roll out with the new brand?
Starcard/Access – these are Chevron registered trademarks and in terms of the agreement with Chevron, the trademarks must be used exclusively with the Caltex brand. Therefore, these offers will only still be available at Caltex service stations until the site transitions to Astron Energy. New fleet card & payment solution brands will be launched with the new brand and announced in due course.
Will Techron be available at Astron Energy branded service stations?
In terms of the agreement with Chevron, the Techron mark must be used exclusively with the Caltex brand. As a result, neither the Techron brand nor additive can be used at our new Astron Energy branded sites. We will soon launch a new Astron Energy product with a high-quality additive that contributes to fuel efficiency, engine cleaning and performance.
What is the process involved in the rebranding of service stations?
As part of this exciting journey to redesign our future brand architecture and customer offering, we have to take into account all aspects of the new brand design and application. This includes the logistics of deploying a new brand to our refinery, lubricants manufacturing plant, terminals, corporate facilities and our network of over 850 service stations and over 180 commercial and industrial sites across South Africa and Botswana. In order to fully scope out all the requirements of rebranding our service station network, we have been conducting extensive site assessments which form part of an ongoing project roll-out.
Where are you in the brand process?
We are following a methodical and rigorous process of defining and developing the long-term brand strategy and process for rebranding the retail network. This included setting up a cross-functional project team and governance structure. The most important and lengthiest phase of the project is the process of defining and developing the brand strategy and brand identity. The first phase kicked off with extensive market assessments, key stakeholder engagements and consumer research to generate data and insights that would input into the brand development process. We are now in the critical phase of finalising our new brand identity and forecourt designs, as well as developing detailed implementation plans.
Will Astron Energy still operate with a corporate brand and a retail brand?
No – the rebrand means Astron Energy becomes the overarching brand across corporate, commercial, and retail, and will be the public face of the Company at all forecourts and other key sites. This is an important step in Astron Energy’s ambition to become the biggest fuel brand in South Africa.
