______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ROVOS Rail
Showcasing South Africa
When it comes to sustainability , Rohan is again to thank for foreseeing the environmental problems with locomotives . “ My father saw the writing on the wall ; we traveled through African countries , many of which were , and some still are , going through various financial and economic problems ,” Tiffany proposes . “ He started investing in cylinder diesel locomotives , and acquired five electric locomotives , some of which were from Australia and others from South Africa .
“ Due to the electricity and subsequent cable theft problems we ’ re facing in South Africa , combined with our desire to use as little diesel as possible , we decided to invest in hybrid locomotives that have both a diesel locomotive and an electric motor , which gives us the ability to switch between the two within five minutes .
“ We also recently acquired a further three fully electric locomotives , taking our overall total to seven . Our growth has happened organically over the years , but we ’ ve requested to purchase 12 more locomotives this year , which would see us operate one of the largest fleets of locomotives in South Africa . For a small , privately-run , luxury train business , it wasn ’ t part of the plan , but it ’ s quickly becoming a part of our future .
“ Trains in general are a much more sustainable way of traveling , but it ’ s not just about the environment – we focus on the communities we travel through and helping to develop those areas . We ’ re investing in a huge sustainability project this year in partnership with Weeva , which will focus on community , commerce , conservation , and culture . We travel through many rural areas of Southern Africa , but as our routes have become more established , budding entrepreneurs have emerged with small lodges and museums popping up at some of our well-known stops .
“ We recently added Angola to our destinations , for example , and on every trip , there are huge crowds of local people at every station , singing and dancing to welcome people to the country ,” she adds . “ It ’ s great to observe us delivering our aim to showcase the beauty of this continent and its people , and it ’ s a bonus to bring employment and support to these countries .”
As our conversation draws to a close , it ’ s clear to see that Tiffany ’ s father ’ s determination is also present in her , as she talks about the company ’ s prosperous future . “ There ’ s a lot of strength in South Africa ; it ’ s like we ’ re built from different
It ’ s great to observe us delivering our aim to showcase the beauty of this continent and its people ... stuff because of the things our country has faced ,” Tiffany suggests . “ My father was positive , resilient , and a great problem solver . I ’ m currently working alongside him and my mother to learn the business inside and out . “ My siblings and I often joke that this business is our fifth sibling that we ’ re never going to let go of , and it would be a proud moment to pass it down to our kids one day ,” she concludes . “ In the meantime , we ’ ll continue to provide trips that allow people to experience countries in a different way , not by air or by road , but by a train that showcases the beauty of this continent .” ■
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