In the years leading up to World War II, Germany grappled with economic turmoil —marked by soaring unemployment and hyperinflation. On the other side of the world, South Africa was undergoing a transformation of its own, with rapid industrialisation fuelling unprecedented growth in mining and manufacturing.

Against this backdrop, a young German machine technician made the life-changing decision of emigrating to South Africa with his family. After settling in Johannesburg, Kurt Werner founded Springbok Broom and Brush in 1948 to manufacture brushware for the booming mining industry.

In 1956, with the business now well-established, Kurt and his three sons identified a growing demand for specialised power tool wire brushes. Seizing the opportunity, they established the Transvaal Brush Company.

Fast forward to 1986, and the Werner family’s entrepreneurial spirit once again drove innovation. With South Africa’s agricultural, mining, and industrial sectors demanding increasingly specialised solutions, Werner Brushware was born — solidifying the family’s position as brushware pioneers.

In 2013, a strategic merger between Springbok Broom and Brush and Transvaal Brush Company left Springbok Broom & Brush as the sole manufacturing distributer of our industrial power brushes, while Werner Brushware turned its focus to specialised and agricultural markets. The divisions are collectively known as The Werner Group.