Six currencies, with an estimated population of 184 million - the East African community exists around the Great Lakes Region. “The Cradle of Mankind” is what it is called. This region lies in the heart of Africa and is home to both flora and fauna as it may have existed in the primordial times, undisturbed – SMART.

Mobility has changed considerably in this region by the way the tyres here have found their way into this market. In 1998, Truck Tubeless Tyre Conversions began in Kenya and quickly spread out to the neighboring regions. Presently 95% of the tyres found in fleets are tubeless and there is 100% conversion rate on Passenger and 4x4 range of vehicles. It was the SMART thing to do. The millennium saw an influx of Fleet Management softwares, Tyre Management Contracts, with the help of Budini Tyre Management Software. Unprecedented tyre training, growing investments in tyre machinery, tools and accessories investments. Technology and processes peaked and the bubble burst.

On the tyre spectrum 12.00R20, which was the predominant tyre size, was replaced by the low profile 315/80R22.5 (not the 13R22.5) which continues to hog 60% of the truck tyre market. The 8.25R16 was replaced by the 265/70R19.5 and 295/80R22.5 (together with 12R22.5) replaced 11.00R20. On the tyre spectrum and front we were ahead of developed, space (nuclear) age countries like India and the Gulf where tubeless conversions were less and the predominant sizes remained to be 10.00R20 and 12.00R24 respectively.

Tubeless rims became the order of the day and even when Trilex Split rims (80 years technology) are still in use in the Gulf. For a market that churns out approximately 600,000 trucks tyre casings per year, tyre retreading is the environmentally SMART thing to do. The cold procured tread process replaced the hot casing damaging process.  East Africa has not been left  SMARTing in this field either.

What went wrong:

1.  Intelligent Organisations. Any intelligent system must be data-driven

The primary objective of any successful organisation is to analyse large pools of data accumulated over long periods of time in their areas of operations (This includes transporters, tyre importers and distributors and tyre manufacturers). Increasingly organisational decisions are NOT taken by managers’ intuition and common sense but algorithms and data derived electronically from recording of our interactions and experiences with customers. Selling tyres has ceased to be a contact sport it has degenerated in some quarters into a Nintendo like encounter.

Intelligent organisations normally SCALE (Sense, Comprehend, Act, Learn and Explain) their environment with managers/ owners / directors ceding authority over certain decisions while acquiring new capabilities and roles for themselves. As conjoined twins, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) and SCALE goals must be matched.

Let me give illustration with a story. In Africa we love to do so. Reader’s discretion is advised!

A (SMART) priest arrived late at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, for a climbing expedition the following day. Exhausted, he searched for a room in the nearest inn. Only one room was available which he was requested by the motel owner to share with a beautiful lady wearing a stunning fishy (SCALEy) dress who had arrived late for the same expedition. To make matters worse, there was only one mattress. The exhausted lady prepared and slept on one side of the mattress, while the honorable  priest laid the sheet and slept on the cold floor two meters away. The following morning at the breakfast table the priest formally introduced himself to the beautiful lady as asked her where she was from. She on the other hand enquired of the priest as to his mission at the Kilimanjaro. “ I have come to climb and conquer this greatest mountain in Mother Africa,” he said proudly trying to impress her. She paused and after a sigh said to  the priest in a low voice, “Tell me exactly how you intend to climb this mountain when you cannot SCALE up a six-inch mattress?!”  Moral of the story: No matter how good your SMART goals are, you must act on SCALE-ing the heights.

2. Smart Technologies portend a smart working force

Tony Nicolini – Founder of the Budini Tyre Software and Systems, puts it beautifully when he says “Technology is only as smart as the users want it to be.”  The exponential growth of data capturing capability has not been matched by its harnessing and channeling into useful avenues largely because investments are low in the field of tyre education and  tyre infrastructure. Having experience Tyre related trainings in different parts of the world, our region receives but a trickle of the much-needed skill laced training that would sharpen their senses in order to tyre SCALE better.

The three aspects related to Smart Tyre Technology are:

Smart transporters

Zul is a transporter who runs a successful bus company. Operating from the heart of Nairobi, to most parts of Kenya. He keeps meticulous records on all his tyre records. These records were the basis for decision making for a transport company that has had the least number of fatalities in the country. Zul represents about 5% of transporters in this region who have scrupulous, readily available  data that is open to scrutiny not only by his own company but can be used by suppliers.

In 2012 I had a chance to visit Tyre Heaven, a company in Sao Paulo. They invited Nicolini (Budini) and me to visit their premises. With over 700 trucks and trailers, there were there only three persons working in the tyre department. Cradle-to-Grave tyre data is maintained for all tyres. Once or twice a year, like a pilgrimage, representatives major tyre suppliers congregate in the transport premises to tender openly for 8,000 tyres.

Smart processes

Special Sales approaches to the market determine the success or failure or a sales person. Many transporters, tyre importers or dealers approach to own products with little comprehension on the conditions of use. Mismatch between tyres and vehicles, tyre and routes, have only added to the chagrin on the end-user. Professional ethics prohibit me from dwelling too much into these sales processes to end-users and dealers, but to say the least, these methodical approaches have no substitute. As a result of tyres being treated as a commodity, where price is the only point of discussion, SMART tyres with lipstick and high-heels have found their way into a hostile market that has unpaved roads, untrained staff and uncaring drivers in some instances.

The readers of this article may have had access to better tyre optimisation processes than the ones I will mention below. Yet I can say without a doubt now will match the dedication and follow-up that is offered by the Budini Tyre Management Systems.

• The Tyre Optimisation Process is a non-patented process that was arrived at by a team of tyre experts on casing (yet not tyre optimisation) in order to achieve the lowest cost per Kilometer in a particular fleet. Pocket Suit, Survey Web and TMS are worth a glance.

Feature Benefits and Evidence (FABEs) is the way tyres were sold, sadly price has over-shadowed all three since both  the purchaser nor the seller are reluctant to discuss the matters relating to performance. Benchmarking of tyre mileages across fleets is more often than not misleading.

Smart sales people

Ajay, Yves, Mick and Tony belong to a fading rare breed of people who were tyre  fleet problem solvers. These gate-keepers and well-trained mentors in process described above played and continued to give solutions and on-site training in the harsh environments. What is common about this people in how  SMART or wise they are. It is the extremely long span of attention they dedicate in their line of duty. It is therefore worrying that today when the tyre is being treated as a commodity and not a Safety Engineering piece of equipment, Africa and Africans without secure gate keepers and anti-dumping laws will fall prey to fast talking sales persons with tik-tok attention spans. If I were to be the Chief Tyre General –  Certain Tyres would only be sold on prescriptions.

In  South Africa, it was uncommon for representatives of different companies to meet at a major transporter and conduct a joint scrap and claim analysis. Just like doctors conducting a post-mortem, sample casings from each brand would be analysed and reported before they would rest back for a Friday  Brae and Beer. SMART. I know this may be happening in other parts of the word any it is the reason we now have the Radial Tyre Damage Book.

RFID, push alerts, Translogic tools, TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems) are all example of Smart technologies that many sales persons, managers, owners and directors are aware of but are not capable of implementing just yet. However, training might be that essential key that unlocks the thirst for the much-needed necessities.

I end this article with the SMARTest thing I have heard this year and maybe for a long time. It comes from a great mind in Tyre Management “It does not matter how you record (label) tyres in whatever system you have….what matters is what you do with that tyre after that. A basic tyre system understood by all is the best way to involve others and come out with shining success. It beats even the tyre RFID systems - Marcio Olievera (Budini Systems – SMARTyre SCALER).

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced a standout performance for its ADVAN global flagship brand tyres during Round 3 of the 2026 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) in Germany, which took place on 11 April 2026. A vehicle equipped with these tyres claimed the overall victory, while another ADVAN-shod car secured third place. The success of both entries was driven by the superior grip and durability of Yokohama Rubber’s racing tyres, which proved essential on one of the world’s most demanding circuits.

The winning car, the No. 77 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, was entered by BMW M Motorsport and operated by Schubert Motorsport. Featuring a striking Red in Black ADVAN livery, the car began the race from the front row. Following an early pit stop after lap six, it took the lead by the end of lap eight. From that point forward, the team maintained flawless control and a consistently fast pace, supported by well-timed pit stops, ultimately crossing the finish line roughly 21 seconds ahead of the runner up.

The third-place finisher was the No. 65 Ford Mustang GT3, entered by Haupt Racing Team. Despite starting from the 19th position, the car steadily advanced through the field to join the No. 77 BMW on the podium, highlighting the competitive edge provided by ADVAN tyres across different vehicles and teams.

The NLS is an annual endurance series held at the Nürburgring, featuring 10 races in 2026 with the final round scheduled for October. This year marks Yokohama Rubber’s first partnership with BMW M Motorsport in nearly 40 years, while the company continues its third consecutive season with Haupt Racing Team and maintains a longstanding collaboration with KONDO RACING. As the tyre partner for these three top teams, Yokohama Rubber is aiming for further NLS victories and has set its sights on an overall win at the upcoming Nürburgring 24 Hour Race in May.

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The German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) has expressed deep frustration over the federal government’s failure to act on bureaucratic relief proposals. Association President Michael Klein noted that over the last three years, German industry has enthusiastically submitted concrete ideas to reduce red tape, including 250 top proposals recently put forward by the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Despite this engagement, the government’s current implementation efforts are more than disappointing.

Klein’s criticism follows a response from the Federal Ministry for the Environment regarding faster permitting procedures under the Federal Immission Control Act. Back in 2023, the BDI had proposed simplifying the legally mandated seven plus three month process for industrial plant permits, specifically by ending the need for continuous updates to application documents. The ministry’s suggestion to introduce inter agency expert opinions as an acceleration measure is seen by Klein as a joke. Under existing law, consulted authorities already have two months to comment; if they fail, the permitting authority can order an expert opinion at the defaulting body’s expense. The ministry claims this 2024 regulation sufficiently addresses the industry’s request.

Klein argues that bringing in third party experts instead of making timely decisions creates new delays and uncertainty over costs. Even if the negligent authority is meant to pay, taxpayers ultimately foot the bill. This single issue, while seemingly minor in the broader struggle against bureaucracy, reveals the authorities’ mindset and a profound administrative lack of understanding. Since the BDI’s 2023 proposals, German industry has had to hire 325,000 additional employees just to cope with new bureaucratic demands from Brussels and Berlin.

Klein concluded that these figures speak for themselves, calling on Merz to take immediate action. He also warned that further burdening struggling companies and industrial peace with a half-baked proposal for a voluntary energy bonus is definitely not helpful. The message is clear: bureaucratic overload threatens industry survival, and real relief cannot wait.

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TyreSafe, UK’s charity dedicated to raising tyre safety awareness, is reinforcing a crucial message as UK police intensify enforcement under the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Operation Spotlight. While the campaign rightly targets seatbelt offences as one of the ‘Fatal Four’, TyreSafe says both seatbelts and tyres play critical roles in road safety – one protects people during a crash, while the other helps prevent the crash from happening at all. The organisation urges drivers to see these safety features as complementary, not interchangeable.

Seatbelts remain among the most effective lifesaving devices, cutting a driver’s death risk by roughly half. Yet dangerous habits persist, especially among younger users. In 2022, four unbelted young people were killed or seriously injured every week, and nearly a third of car occupant fatalities aged 17 to 29 involved no seatbelt. Those aged 17 to 34 have the lowest wearing rates and highest accident risk, with young men most likely to forego a belt on short or familiar night journeys.

A similar neglect appears in tyre safety, particularly among younger drivers. While most motorists prioritise safety when choosing tyres, younger drivers are significantly drawn to performance. Over a third have never heard of the 20p coin test, and despite 72 percent knowing a legal tread depth exists, nearly 3 in 10 cannot name it. Only 40 percent check tyre pressure monthly, and 10 percent admit they never check tread depth.

Younger drivers also face greater risk through part-worn tyres, with more than one in five buying them, rising to 27 percent among under 30s. Worn tyres at 70 mph add 27 metres to stopping distance. In wet motorway conditions, worn tyres affect stopping distance seven times more than alcohol. On average, 153 people are killed or seriously injured annually in defective tyre incidents, with 172 such casualties in 2024.

Forensic investigations reveal that 75 percent of tyre defects linked to fatal crashes stem from poor maintenance, making most preventable. Surviving a crash should never be the first line of defence. Properly maintained tyres provide grip in emergency braking, while seatbelts offer protection when prevention fails. TyreSafe reminds every driver that road safety begins before the crash, not after it.

TyreSafe urges road users to embrace the simple ACT protocol: regular checks of air pressure, condition and tread depth.

Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe Chair, said, “Operation Spotlight highlights the importance of wearing a seatbelt, and rightly so – seatbelts save lives. But road safety also depends on preventing collisions in the first place. Tyres are the only part of the vehicle that touches the road, and their condition determines braking, grip and control. Checking your tyres once a month using the ACT method is a simple step that could make the difference between a near miss and a serious collision.”

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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) recently hosted a significant courtesy visit from Izal Nazrin, Head of the Corporate Communication Unit at the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB), at its Secretariat. This meeting served as an important opportunity to deepen ties between the two organisations.

Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in media engagement and joint publication efforts concerning the natural rubber industry. Both sides stressed that strategic communication plays a vital role in raising the sector’s visibility and public awareness, particularly regarding upstream activities such as production and raw material management.

This exchange highlights a mutual dedication to advancing the natural rubber sector through effective partnerships and coordinated outreach. By working together, ANRPC and MRB aim to strengthen industry communication and support sustainable growth across the supply chain.

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