Epson doubles down on South Africa as print market transforms
It's easy to think that the home printer heavyweights would fade into the obsolescence ether as the world goes paperless. As it turns out, business is booming.
Epson, the global imaging and printing giant from Japan, is significantly strengthening its commitment to South Africa, recently unveiling new offices in Cape Town following the launch of an Innovation Centre in Johannesburg. This expansion underscores the country's strategic importance within the expansive Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Central and West Asia (META-CWA) region.
'The decision to build a strong presence in South Africa is partly thanks to the organisation in southern Africa and the talent of the South African people that we brought into the organisation,' explained Neil Colquhoun, president of Epson META-CWA, referring to the company's move to insource back-office functions rather than outsourcing.
Epson's local team, already touching 80, is expected to grow to about 100 within 18 months, handling not only commercial operations for SADC and English-speaking Africa but also critical back-office functions such as finance, IT and supply chains for the entire META-CWA region.
This will also double the size of Colquhoun's regional team that operates primarily from the Dubai base.
The company's demographic profile reflects a young, diverse workforce with a median age of 39 and an average of about 30. Women constitute 47% of Epson's regional employees, with half of the senior management team being female.
'We're really, really proud of our demographic profile,' Colquhoun noted. 'It distinguishes us in the tech industry, which traditionally skews male.'
An EcoTank in every home
Epson's regional growth strategy centres on its EcoTank printer technology, which now accounts for about half of the company's global business. The ink tank principle has proven particularly successful in emerging markets.
'We've sold over 100 million EcoTanks worldwide – more than the rest of the market combined,' Colquhoun said.
The source of this market advantage is a proprietary Micro Piezo technology, a heat-free printing method. 'This is completely unique to Epson – we own the core technology and don't sell or licence it to others,' he said. 'It results in very low power consumption, which is critical in countries like South Africa because of load shedding. Theoretically, you could power an Epson printer with a bicycle dynamo.'
The additional benefits include reduced maintenance, faster printing and longer device lifespans. 'It's cold technology, which means you're not stressing the parts. This results in lower intervention requirements compared to laser printers, which struggle with heat and dust issues.'
A departure from tradition
An important thing to understand about the printer game is that the rules are to not sell but lease, with expensive maintenance contracts that place a premium on call-out fees.
Colquhoun has other ideas. He describes EcoTank as a 'complete game changer' due to its dramatic impact on printing costs. Unlike traditional cartridge printers, EcoTank models come with a large volume of ink – equivalent to about 79 cartridges – providing about three years of printing straight out of the box based on average use.
He tells Daily Maverick that the cost per page for consumers is 'a no-brainer'. While a cartridge might print a few hundred pages for about $20, a bottle of EcoTank ink can print 8,000 pages and costs significantly less. This 'unparalleled' value proposition means customers, especially those with high printing needs like families with school children, are no longer 'scared to print because they know it's expensive'. Over three years customers can save about $1,000 (R18,461) depending on use, and in some markets this translates to saving more than 90% on printing costs.
Another stealthy attack on jobs
Colquhoun says the benefits extend to channel partners as well. The low maintenance and intervention required for EcoTank printers compared with laser printers (which often need cleaning due to dust) allows partners to reduce fixed costs associated with fuel and maintenance teams (read: cut down on manpower).
He estimates that roughly one in three, or even two out of three, visits can be reduced, freeing up personnel for other tasks. This creates a win-win scenario across the value chain, benefiting customers, partners and even the national grid and environment through reduced energy use and emissions.
While Epson bets big on converting users to its ink tank system, the broader print industry continues to evolve. Yesh Surjoodeen, southern Africa regional director at HP (Epson's biggest rival), acknowledged the industry's reinvention but pointed to growth linked to 'automation, diversification, supply chain resiliency and sustainability'.
Surjoodeen highlights the need for the industry to diversify offerings, embrace digital technologies in a hybrid approach and meet consumer demands for personalisation and sustainability. While not dismissing print, HP's focus seems geared towards adaptation through services, AI integration and subscription models, particularly in the PC space.
What this means for you
Compare ink tank systems (like Epson's EcoTank) with traditional cartridge models (common with HP) when thinking about making a business purchase. Ink tanks generally mean a higher upfront printer cost but lower long-term ink expenses, while cartridges are often the reverse. Evaluate your printing volume to see which model fits best.
Maintenance needs: Epson claims its heat-free technology requires less intervention than laser printers, but the call-out fee might be higher.
Energy use: Newer technologies may offer lower power consumption, affecting running costs – heat-free also means more flexibility in energy sources (you could run it off DC power).
Vendor strategy: Suppliers have different focuses – some push low running costs, others drive the service integration or AI feature agenda. Align your choice with your business or personal priorities.
The pirate problem
The issue of counterfeit ink and toner also presents a challenge, with Epson and HP taking slightly different public stances on combating it.
Epson focuses on educating consumers to use genuine consumables, employing marketing and IP protection tools like QR codes for authenticity verification, and pursuing legal action against counterfeiters using its logo.
HP, heavily reliant on cartridge sales, strongly promotes its anti-counterfeiting programmes, warning that counterfeit and clone cartridges 'mislead consumers, undermine trust and can damage printing devices' while infringing on their IP. HP says it champions 'rigorous IP protection' to ensure value and reliability.
As Epson expands its physical presence and pushes its ink tank technology revolution, the broader industry navigates a future where print coexists with digital and sustainability becomes the main focus.
Either way, print will still be with us for the foreseeable future. DM
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