GRIMME Africa Names the Continent the World’s Top Potato Growth Market and Tests Entry-Level Machines in Zimbabwe
GRIMME launched a dedicated Africa unit in January 2026. Its area sales manager says Africa has the greatest growth potential for potatoes and that low-horsepower SHAKTIMAN GRIMME equipment is being tested in Zimbabwe.
GRIMME, the German potato-machinery maker, now has a dedicated organisation for Sub-Saharan Africa. GRIMME Africa, based near Cape Town, was launched in January 2026 to bring the company closer to dealers and farmers in the region. In an interview with Potatoes.News, area sales manager Brendon Puttick said the greatest potential for potato growth in the world "is most definitely Africa", and that the company is already testing SHAKTIMAN GRIMME entry-level equipment in Zimbabwe.
A local footprint for ten countries
GRIMME has been present in South Africa and the wider continent for many years, Puttick said, but GRIMME Africa gives the group’s holding company a local base. The unit covers about ten countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Angola. Puttick described it as early days and said the team is focused on getting closer to dealers and customers. He has known GRIMME equipment for 12 years, first as a dealer, and is in his 15th month with the company.
Two very different farming worlds
According to Puttick, South African growers adopt technology quickly. He links this to exposure to the free market: there is no government interference, so any crop can be the last one. South African farmers have therefore invested in technology to manage planting, harvesting and field decisions via digital tools. Farms there are also considerably larger and more developed.
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Further north, he said, farming is smaller in scale and often subsistence-based, and the task is to help subsistence farmers move towards commercial farming. Typical field sizes differ by country; in Kenya, for example, about one hectare is a common smallholder size, as raised in the interview.
SHAKTIMAN GRIMME: the entry-level potato mechanisation range
For this segment GRIMME points to SHAKTIMAN GRIMME, a 50/50 joint venture between the GRIMME family business and Shaktiman. It targets tractors of roughly 50 to 100 horsepower, the class Puttick says is predominant in both Africa and India. Established larger farmers are served with the GRIMME range built in Germany, while a US-based operation covers high-horsepower machines for the American and Canadian markets.
The SHAKTIMAN GRIMME range is still in the validation stage in Africa to ensure it suits local conditions. A few units are running in Zimbabwe, where Puttick reports good results and feedback. He expects it to be offered across Sub-Saharan Africa "shortly", without giving a date.
Financing: no single model
Asked about leasing and credit for farmers, Puttick said every country is different, and GRIMME and its dealers work with both government bodies and private-sector partners on a case-by-case basis. There is no one-size-fits-all programme.
Outlook: potatoes and food security
Puttick noted that discussions at the conference pointed to Africa as the region with both the greatest potato growth potential and the greatest expected population growth. With potatoes a staple starch across the continent, he sees strong prospects for the crop in Southern Africa and a role for it in local food security.
What this means
- For smallholders: lower-horsepower machinery is being developed for the 50–100 hp tractor class, but it is not yet on sale across the region; check availability with local dealers.
- For commercial growers: the new local GRIMME Africa structure is meant to bring support and dealer contact closer.
- For the market: a major equipment maker is positioning Africa as a long-term potato growth region, tied to population growth and food security.
Sources: Potatoes.News interview with Brendon Puttick, GRIMME Africa, 28 October 2026; text approved by GRIMME, 31 October 2026.
