Tyre Rack bounces back
Tourism boom helps get industry back on its feet
Tyre dealer and repair specialists say business is picking up again
Tyre Rack has been in Namibia since 2008 when owner Mohammed Bhamjee brought the franchise from South Africa and opened the first branch in Rundu. For the last ten years since 2013 Tyre Rack has also had a presence in the capital and the company has also expanded to the coast in the meantime, although their Walvis Bay outlet was a victim of the Covid-19 outbreak that rocked the country and laid waste to the world.Bhamjee says things are starting to roll along nicely again, with the current resurgence in the local tourism industry. “Our business is directly dependent on people being mobile,” he explains referring to the after effects of the Covid-19 lock-downs which paralyzed the country in recent years. “If cars are not driving, people are not buying tyres,”he adds. However, “the post-Covid tourism boom is good news for our industry,” he says.
Despite the challenges posed by the economic recession that gripped Namibia even before the pandemic, and the impact of the corona-virus on Namibia’s business landscape, Bhamjee says: “We our finding out feet again.
My.Na Cars’ very own ‘Passenger Princess,’ Diana Master went to visit the business recently, to learn all about rims, tread depth and even getting a private lesson from operations manager Fawaaz Brenner to learn how to change a flat tyre.”
Tyre Rack stocks all sorts of tyre brands to suit all budgets and motor enthusiast desires. Bhamjee explains that they stock top of the range and well known makes with brand appeal like Micheline, Pirelli and Continental alongside brands with most mass-appeal like Goodyear. However, not being brand specific as a business Tyre Rack also brings you more affordable options, particularly from China, he says. “These days, with the state of the economy, people come and ask for the cheapest tyres, and we have them, but we do not compromise on safety and all the tyres we sell as tested and certified,” he insists.
Sharing the benefit of his long experience Bhamjee elaborates that different kinds of tyres have different lifespans, from high performance tyres designed to last only for a limited time, to off-road tyres that can last for years. The major consideration, he says, is good tyre care. “Rotating your tyres regularly, checking your wheel alignment every ten thousand kilometers, making sure your tyres are not over-inflated or under-inflated, makes a big difference,” he says.
Bhamjee also places emphasis on the wide range of rims that Tyre Rack stocks, comparable to the largest range in the country, he says. “Rims are like shoes for you vehicle and people like to change them from time to time,” he goes on. “We offer so many choices,” he says.
Tyre Rack is a one stop service centre for tyres, with an in-house service centre where clients can have their newly bought tyres fitted, balanced, do their wheel alignment and also can fill their tyres with nitrogen, he says. That is where Brenner took Master through the steps involved to change a tyre.
Get the jack and the wheel-spanner from the boot after lifting your spare-wheel out. Set up your emergency triangle so that other motorists are warned. Place the jack properly where it fits under the body, and ensure that the hand-break is engaged. Loosen the wheel nuts making use of the lock-nut where applicable. Lift the car with the jack. Once you remove the faulty tyre, place it under the car in such a way as the catch the weight of the vehicle if the jack might slip, adding an extra measure of safety. Fit the replacement tyre and tighten the nuts slightly. Lower the vehicle and remove the jack. Tighten the nuts, at least two 360 degree rotations each. Fasten the lock-nut, replace the tools and off you go. Drive safe and go well with Tyre Rack.