Company: Barloworld
Country: South Africa
Sector: Wholesale Distributors
CEO: Dominic Sewela (CEO)
Website: https://barloworld.com
Careers Page: Not publicly listed
LinkedIn: Not publicly listed
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa
Founded: 1902
Valuation/Revenue: R37.7bn (approx. $2.1bn) group revenue for the year ended September 2025, down 10% year-on-year (company results reported by Moneyweb/Business Report, January 2026); company delisted from the JSE in January 2026 following a R23bn take-private acquisition, so it no longer has a public market capitalization — African Business Top 250 (2025) had cited $2,316m revenue and $611.1m market value based on earlier, pre-delisting data
Barloworld is a major South African industrial company best known as the exclusive distributor of Caterpillar heavy earthmoving and power equipment across large parts of Southern Africa, alongside other logistics, automotive and equipment-related businesses. As of early 2026 it is no longer a publicly listed company: it delisted from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on 27 January 2026 after being taken private by an Entsha-led consortium in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Zahid Group.
Is Barloworld Still a Real, Operating Company?
Yes — very much so, but its ownership and listing status changed fundamentally in 2026. After 85 years as a JSE-listed company (having first listed on 1 January 1941) and roughly 124 years since its founding, Barloworld delisted from both the JSE and the A2X exchange on 27 January 2026. This followed the completion of a R23 billion (about $1.4 billion) take-private transaction. The company continues to operate as normal under its existing management, brand and South African headquarters — it has become a privately held company rather than ceasing to exist.
Who Owns Barloworld Now?
Following the January 2026 delisting, ownership passed to an Entsha-led consortium. Entsha, a 100%-black-owned South African investment firm, holds a 51% majority stake, while Saudi Arabia’s Zahid Group holds the remaining 49% as a minority financial partner. The structure was deliberately designed to keep the company under South African-led control and management while bringing in long-term capital backing from the Gulf-based Zahid Group, which has extensive experience as a Caterpillar dealer in Saudi Arabia. This was described by commentators as an “operator-led” buyout rather than a conventional private-equity takeover.
Who Is the CEO of Barloworld?
Dominic Sewela is CEO of Barloworld, having spent close to two decades with the company before leading the take-private transaction. He described the delisting as enabling Barloworld to “move beyond the short term and adopt the long-term perspective required to drive sustainable growth,” positioning the deal as a strategic reset rather than a distress sale.
How Big Is Barloworld?
For the financial year ended September 2025 — its last full year as a listed company — Barloworld reported group revenue of R37.7 billion, a 10% decline year-on-year, while free cash flow rose sharply, up 161% to R1.7 billion, and basic earnings per share fell 24% to 777 cents. These figures reflect a business navigating softer demand in some of its core markets even as it improved cash generation ahead of the ownership transition. Prior published rankings, including African Business magazine’s Top 250 for 2025, cited Barloworld’s revenue at roughly $2.3 billion and market value at about $611 million using earlier-year, pre-delisting data — figures that are now superseded by its private ownership status.
Is Barloworld Publicly Traded?
No, not any longer. Barloworld delisted from the JSE and A2X exchanges on 27 January 2026 after the Entsha/Zahid Group acquisition completed. Investors and researchers who encounter older data describing Barloworld as a JSE-listed stock (ticker BAW) should treat that as historical; the company is now privately held.
What Does Barloworld Do?
Barloworld’s core business is distributing Caterpillar heavy equipment — used in mining, construction, power generation and agriculture — across Southern Africa, alongside related logistics, equipment rental, automotive retail and allied industrial businesses built up over more than a century of operation.
What Has Barloworld Been in the News For Recently?
The dominant recent story is the January 2026 JSE delisting itself — widely covered by South African financial media as the end of an 85-year public-market era for one of the JSE’s oldest listed names, and as a notable example of an “operator-led” going-private transaction backed by Gulf capital rather than a traditional foreign takeover.
Links
Website: https://barloworld.com
Careers Page: Not found
LinkedIn: Not found
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
Is Barloworld still listed on the JSE?
No — it delisted from the JSE and A2X on 27 January 2026 after being taken private.
Who owns Barloworld now?
An Entsha-led consortium (51%) in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Zahid Group (49%).
Who is the CEO of Barloworld?
Dominic Sewela.
What does Barloworld do?
It distributes Caterpillar heavy equipment and related industrial products/services across Southern Africa.
How old is Barloworld?
Founded in 1902, making it roughly 124 years old as of 2026.
Did Barloworld go bankrupt?
No — it was acquired and taken private in a R23bn deal; it continues operating normally, just without a public stock listing.