Three decades of getting the specification right
DNH was founded in Johannesburg in 1990. We help OEMs, system integrators, infrastructure engineers and project teams choose motion and automation components that will hold up in the field, and we back that choice with local support.
Who we are
We are a focused, experienced team, and that is deliberate. The person who answers your technical question is the same person who has been sizing these motors, drives and actuators for South African applications for years. From compact precision motors and gearheads to drives, actuators, controllers, access systems and industrial components, our job is to match the right technology to the real demands of each project, then support it through to reliable implementation. Most of our business is repeat business. Customers come back because the last recommendation worked.
We are the exclusive Southern African distributor for maxon and Parvalux, and an authorised partner for six more specialist European brands.
What we stand for
Three principles guide how we work.
A specialist team based in Johannesburg, sizing motion, automation and access control components for South African applications since 1990. You speak directly to the people who know the products and the conditions they have to work in.
We represent a focused portfolio of specialist European manufacturers, chosen for precision, reliability and long service life. From compact high-efficiency drives to robust geared motors, these are engineered components built to perform in demanding applications and keep performing.
We work alongside your engineers from first enquiry through to implementation, recommending what actually fits the application and coordinating with the manufacturer's specialists where a design needs custom input.
What makes us different
We start with the application, not the catalogue
Most enquiries begin with one question: which product is right for this application? The honest answer is rarely a single catalogue number. Load, speed, torque, duty cycle, operating environment, control method, integration, safety standards and expected lifecycle all change the right choice.
So we ask about those things first. What has to move, how hard, how often, in what conditions, and what happens if it stops. Then we recommend a product and configuration that fits, working with the manufacturer's specialists where a design needs custom input. If we are not the right supplier for a job, we will tell you that too.
Proven on real projects
Specified into infrastructure that has to work
Over the years, DNH components have gone into major South African infrastructure, including the Gautrain rapid rail network and national toll road concessions, alongside work in mining, building automation, mobility and industrial automation. These are environments where a failure is expensive and downtime is public. That is the standard we specify to.
Our partners
We represent eight specialist European manufacturers. Each logo links to its own partner page.
