Expansion supports growing role of VSDs/VFDs in data centre cooling and industrial efficiency.
Proximity to OR Tambo International Airport will also enhance logistics efficiency. Supplied by iTek Drives
As demand for high-performance digital infrastructure accelerates, data centre cooling has become one of the most critical engineering challenges facing the built environment. From hyperscale facilities to edge deployments, operators are under pressure to improve energy efficiency while maintaining precise thermal control of increasingly dense IT loads. Variable speed drives (VSDs/VFDs) sit at the heart of this transition, enabling intelligent control of fans, pumps and compressors that regulate cooling systems.
Against this backdrop, iTek Drives’ expansion into larger premises in Meadowdale, Gauteng, reflects not only business growth, but also the rising importance of drive technology in mission-critical cooling and industrial applications.
iTek Drives, a leading supplier of variable speed drives and control panels, has relocated to larger premises in the industrial and commercial hub of Meadowdale, near OR Tambo International Airport.
The new facility includes a warehouse designed for receiving and dispatch operations, a larger workshop for product assembly and repair, a VFD showroom, reception area, training room and expanded office space. The site also provides capacity for future growth as demand continues to increase.
iTek Drives is Africa’s leading supplier of the Optidrive range of VFDs south of the Sahara. Also known as inverters, VFDs are electronic controllers commonly used on fans, pumps, compressors and cranes to smoothly manage electric motor acceleration and deceleration by adjusting voltage and frequency.
Optidrive is a British product manufactured by Invertek in Wales. With an emphasis on quality and competitive pricing, iTek has grown this brand across Africa since 2016. In 2024, the company further strengthened its technical capability by opening a comprehensive testing, repair, programming and software centre in Johannesburg.
Growing demand for VFD solutions across industrial sectors, including HVAC and energy-intensive cooling applications such as data centres, is one of the key drivers behind the move to larger premises. The additional space at Meadowdale also allows for the development of strategic alliances with electric motor manufacturers, including potential distribution partnerships. iTek recently announced the supply of VFDs, control panels and specialised electric motors to a copper mine in Zambia.
Proximity to OR Tambo International Airport will also enhance logistics efficiency, enabling rapid airfreight delivery to customers across Africa.
Sales director Ryan Bisnath said he anticipates working more closely with importer Emac (Electric Motors & Components) to supply flame-proof motors, explosion-proof motors and slip ring motors to the African market. Brands will include KMMP, VEM and CEMP. iTek will integrate these European motors with Optidrive VFDs and its locally built control panels to deliver complete turnkey systems.
“By serving as a single-source supplier, we will remove the difficulties and risks associated with ordering and assembling an integrated system from two or more separate companies,” Bisnath said.
“Our core business as a variable frequency drives supplier has not changed, but we hope to make a lot easier the customer’s purchase of his integrated motor and drive systems.”
Source: Supplied by iTek Drives
