Gianluca Della Riccia: Providing Smarter Solutions for Bulk-Solid Material Handling and Wastewater Treatment

Industrial operations today face increasingly complex challenges. As production environments evolve, companies must address issues like dust control, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance with solutions that are both effective and adaptable. Success depends not only on equipment, but also on thoughtful design and a profound understanding of materials, processes, and local conditions.

At WAM South Africa, General Manager Gianluca Della Riccia and his team focus on delivering practical, tailored systems that help processing plants improve performance while managing costs. WAMGROUP offers a wide range of equipment that is cross-pollinated into many industries, including building and construction, heavy industries, food & feed processing, plastics and chemicals, and environmental technologies. Providing solutions and equipment that align with each sector's unique needs.

Global Leadership in Screw Conveyors and Beyond

WAMGROUP is the global market leader in Screw Conveyors and amongst the most prominent players in the field of Bulk Solids Handling & Processing Equipment. The company, founded in Modena, Italy, in 1968, employs some 2,500 people at more than 60 locations in 40 countries.

The Company’s comprehensive product range includes equipment for Bulk Solids Handling & Processing, Dust Filtration, Waste Water Treatment, and Renewable Energy Generation.

Strongly focused on the requirements of the market, WAMGROUP aims to produce market-oriented solutions, turning them into a particularly user-friendly standard, tailored for a variety of industries. Industrial quality and an excellent price-performance ratio make WAMGROUP equipment the ideal choice for project engineers and provide customers all over the world with the best deal available on the market.

A Steady Path to Leadership

Gianluca’s journey at WAM South Africa began in sales, where he developed a strong foundation in bulk-handling and wastewater treatment equipment. His experience working closely with clients in heavy industry, construction, and food production gave him insight into the challenges they face and the solutions that matter most.

In 2021, after several years as a Sales Engineer, Gianluca was appointed General Manager. His promotion reflected not only his technical knowledge but also his commitment to service and collaboration.

Through a combination of technical ingenuity, customer-focused strategies, and advanced equipment solutions, he and his team deliver systems that optimise industrial processes across sectors.

Gianluca attributes his journey to three key drivers: hands-on experience that offered him insight into customer needs and market dynamics, a deep commitment to organisational growth, and the trust placed in him by WAMGROUP. His career has been guided by a customer-centric philosophy, a curiosity for technical solutions, and a global outlook shaped by his exposure to international standards and practices.

He envisions WAM South Africa’s future through a lens of sustainable growth, regional expansion, and brand elevation, combining operational precision with a focus on people and performance.

A Vision for Regional Leadership and Sustainable Progress

Gianluca defines the long-term vision for WAM South Africa as one centered on regional leadership, brand recognition, and sustainability. He aims to position WAM South Africa as the leading provider of bulk solids handling and processing equipment across Southern Africa, ensuring that brands such as SAVECO® and other WAMGROUP products become synonymous with quality and reliability.

Sustainability remains a cornerstone of Gianluca’s strategy. His focus is on promoting energy-efficient equipment and innovations that minimize environmental impact by reducing dust and CO2 emissions.

To achieve market growth, Gianluca has implemented a series of strategic initiatives. A cross-selling approach enables the company to provide complete product ranges tailored to the unique needs of each industry and region, increasing customer value and market penetration. Geographic segmentation and border expansion have helped WAM South Africa establish its presence beyond the local market, reaching neighbouring countries and strengthening its footprint.

Education also plays a key role in Gianluca’s approach. By helping customers understand the broader benefits of WAM products, he promotes brand awareness that goes beyond technical specifications. His leadership combines operational excellence with a deep understanding of regional dynamics, positioning WAM South Africa as a fast-growing force in the industrial equipment sector.

To ensure professional advice, Gianluca prioritizes continuous training and development within his sales team. Drawing from his own background in sales, he encourages a consultative and solution-oriented approach, ensuring that every recommendation aligns with the client’s specific industry and operational needs. Education also plays a major role in WAM South Africa’s client relations. The company focuses on helping customers understand the benefits of its product lines, particularly SAVECO® and other WAMGROUP brands, enabling clients to make informed decisions that support long-term efficiency and sustainability.

Product availability is another critical pillar of customer satisfaction. WAM South Africa maintains strategic stock levels aligned with regional demand, allowing for shorter lead times and prompt delivery. By promoting complete product ranges rather than individual items, the company offers comprehensive and flexible solutions tailored to client requirements.

Gianluca ensures that WAM South Africa’s reputation is built not just on selling equipment but on cultivating trust through consistency, expertise, and responsiveness.

Mastering the Bulk Solids Market

Operating within South Africa’s bulk solids handling sector presents both opportunities and complexities. Gianluca recognizes that the market is shaped by evolving challenges that require agility, innovation, and strategic leadership.

Among the primary challenges are infrastructure limitations, which often delay project execution and equipment delivery, and economic volatility, including fluctuating exchange rates and inflation that complicate pricing strategies. Energy constraints such as load shedding and supply instability further impact industrial productivity, while regulatory compliance demands constant vigilance and adaptation. The market’s fragmentation, with numerous small and medium competitors, also heightens competition in pricing and service delivery.

To remain competitive, Gianluca has implemented forward-looking strategies that position WAM South Africa as a leader in innovation and service excellence. The company continues to introduce advanced technologies such as the SILOTOP polyTUBE™ filter and the DUPLOCON Airless Cement Flow System, designed to meet changing industry needs. Cross-selling and strong brand education initiatives help differentiate WAMGROUP’s products, while expansion into neighbouring markets reduces dependency on domestic demand.

Customer-centric service remains at the core of these efforts, with a focus on professional consultation, reliable stock availability, and technical support that builds lasting partnerships and customer loyalty.

Technology That Transforms Industry

Under Gianluca’s leadership, WAM South Africa leverages technological innovation as a key pillar of its growth strategy. His vision is to use technology not only to enhance operational efficiency but also to improve product performance for clients across Southern Africa.

The company’s innovations in filtration and flow technology have set new standards in the industry. The SILOTOP polyTUBE™ filter represents a major advancement in dust filtration, offering superior air cleaning efficiency, lower maintenance requirements, and reduced energy consumption, an important factor for industries facing energy and environmental challenges. Similarly, the DUPLOCON Airless Cement Flow System has transformed cement handling by minimizing dust emissions and energy use while improving flow control and reliability.

WAMGROUP’s modular equipment design further supports flexibility and customization. This approach enables WAM South Africa to provide clients with scalable, easy-to-install solutions that reduce downtime and optimize overall performance.

These innovations deliver measurable impact for clients, including lower operational costs, improved compliance with environmental regulations, and enhanced productivity through more reliable and efficient systems.

Through Gianluca’s leadership, WAM South Africa continues to align technological progress with client needs, delivering not just equipment but smarter, future-ready solutions that support sustainable industrial growth.

Expanding with Purpose Across Southern Africa

For Gianluca Della Riccia, expanding WAM South Africa’s footprint across Southern Africa and neighbouring regions is a strategic process grounded in analysis, sustainability, and long-term alignment with the company’s vision. Each expansion decision is guided by key factors such as market potential, infrastructure readiness, regulatory environment, and industry demand. This careful evaluation ensures that every step forward contributes to sustainable growth and brand integrity.

When considering new markets, industry demand is the foremost priority. Gianluca focuses on regions with strong industrial activity that align with WAMGROUP’s diverse product offerings. Infrastructure and logistics readiness, including transport networks, warehousing capacity, and energy reliability, also play a critical role in determining feasibility. Regulatory landscapes are thoroughly assessed to ensure ease of operation, environmental compliance, and smooth import or export processes.

Local partnerships are another cornerstone of WAM South Africa’s regional growth model. The presence of reliable distributors, contractors, and technical service providers often influences the company’s market entry strategies. Economic stability, including currency trends, inflation, and government support for industrial development, also shapes investment decisions.

In terms of targeted sectors, WAM South Africa focuses on areas with high growth potential. For cement and construction, the company’s attention is directed toward Zambia, Mozambique, and Namibia, where infrastructure development continues to drive demand for bulk solids handling and dust filtration systems. In the mining and minerals sector, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo present opportunities due to their rich mineral reserves and active extraction industries.

Food and agriculture expansion focuses on Kenya and Tanzania, where agro-processing is rapidly advancing and requires hygienic and efficient material handling equipment. Within wastewater and environmental solutions, continued work in South Africa and new ventures in Mauritius align with the growing focus on sustainability and water treatment through SAVECO® solutions. Meanwhile, in the chemical and plastics industries, Nigeria and Ghana have emerged as key regions as their manufacturing sectors expand and demand precision dosing, mixing, and filtration technologies.

By tailoring its approach to the characteristics of each market, WAM South Africa ensures that its expansion is strategic, sustainable, and aligned with regional realities rather than merely geographic growth.

Balancing Growth and Strategic Excellence

Gianluca approaches the balance between growth investment and profitability with precision and foresight. At WAM South Africa, this balance is achieved through targeted investment, operational efficiency, customer-centric strategies, and disciplined performance monitoring. The company’s goal is to achieve profitable growth where every investment serves a clear purpose and contributes to long-term financial health.

Investment decisions are guided by measurable returns and focused on high-impact areas such as regional expansion and full product range promotion. This ensures that each initiative meaningfully supports revenue generation and margin improvement. Operational efficiency is another critical element, achieved through optimized logistics, regional segmentation, and inventory management. Modular product designs and standardized components further reduce production and maintenance costs, supporting consistent profitability.

Gianluca’s customer-centric approach strengthens brand loyalty by emphasizing value creation and education. By helping clients understand the long-term advantages of WAMGROUP’s solutions, the company reduces price sensitivity and encourages repeat business.

Financial performance is closely monitored through regular reviews of P&L statements, regional performance metrics, and product line profitability. Underperforming areas are promptly reassessed, while successful initiatives are expanded. This disciplined evaluation process allows WAM South Africa to remain agile and resilient in a dynamic market.

Risk diversification also underpins the company’s strategy. By operating across multiple industries, including cement, mining, wastewater, and food, and by expanding into various geographies, WAM South Africa mitigates exposure to economic fluctuations or sector-specific downturns. Under Gianluca’s leadership, the company continues to prioritize profitability without compromising on innovation or market growth.

Optimizing Logistics and Inventory to Serve Industrial Clients

WAM South Africa has evolved its shipping, logistics, and inventory management systems to meet the complex and time-sensitive needs of industrial clients across Southern Africa. Under Gianluca’s leadership, the company has built a model defined by regional responsiveness, operational efficiency, and reliability.

Shipping and logistics strategies have been strengthened through compliance with regional regulations, route optimization, and partnerships with trusted freight providers to minimize delays and ensure consistent delivery timelines. This regional segmentation approach allows WAM South Africa to adapt quickly to logistical challenges and maintain a high level of service reliability.

Inventory management has also been refined to align closely with regional demand. Strategic stocking ensures that frequently used components and systems are readily available, reducing lead times and enhancing delivery efficiency. Instead of managing isolated products, the company promotes complete product ranges, simplifying procurement and providing clients with integrated solutions.

While the operational details remain confidential, Gianluca’s structured management approach reflects the use of data-driven forecasting based on sales insights and market trends. This minimizes excess stock and supports a lean, responsive supply chain.

The impact of these efforts is reflected in improved client outcomes. Reduced lead times, consistent product availability, and scalable logistics solutions have strengthened trust and repeat business. Modular inventory systems enable WAM South Africa to support projects of varying scales, from small installations to major industrial rollouts, without compromising service quality.

Through Gianluca’s guidance, WAM South Africa continues to refine its operational backbone, ensuring that logistics and inventory management not only meet but exceed the expectations of clients in the industrial equipment sector.

Building a Responsible Industrial Future

WAM South Africa has embraced sustainability as a strategic imperative, embedding environmental and social responsibility into every facet of its operations, product design, and regional engagement.

Environmental Responsibility
The company focuses on eco-efficient technologies that help clients meet regulatory standards while reducing their carbon footprint. Its energy-conscious equipment designs minimize power consumption and enhance performance, particularly valuable in regions facing energy constraints and load shedding. Waste reduction is achieved through modular and standardized components, reducing material use during manufacturing and maintenance and supporting circular economy principles.

Social Responsibility
WAM South Africa prioritizes developing local talent through training and upskilling initiatives that build technical expertise and support career progression. In addition, the company demonstrates community commitment by engaging in local initiatives aligned with WAMGROUP’s broader social responsibility ethos. Safety remains a cornerstone of its operations, with strict health and safety standards applied in every stage of equipment design, installation, and maintenance.

Through these combined efforts, WAM South Africa continues to shape a more sustainable, responsible, and resilient industrial landscape across Southern Africa.

People as the Engine of Progress

In an industry where technical excellence and innovation define success, WAM South Africa’s talent philosophy centres on empowerment, growth, and shared purpose. The company views its people as the true engine of its performance and long-term success.

Attracting Talent
WAMGROUP’s global reputation positions WAM South Africa as a destination for skilled engineers, technicians, and professionals seeking meaningful careers. The organization provides transparent career pathways and highlights internal success stories to inspire and attract top talent.

Retaining Talent
A culture of trust and accountability defines the workplace. Employees are encouraged to take initiative, collaborate across departments, and contribute ideas that drive progress. Regular recognition and open feedback help sustain motivation and a sense of belonging.

Developing Talent
WAM South Africa invests deeply in continuous learning through hands-on training, certifications, and leadership development. Emerging leaders are identified early and mentored to prepare for senior roles, ensuring continuity and organizational strength. Alongside technical mastery, the company emphasizes a customer-focused mindset, ensuring teams understand and anticipate client needs.

This holistic approach builds not just a workforce, but a community of professionals who are technically skilled, purpose-driven, and inspired to deliver excellence.

Engineering Leadership with Purpose and Soul

For Gianluca, leadership in the industrial equipment and manufacturing sector is a blend of vision, knowledge, and humanity. His philosophy reflects years of experience leading with both precision and purpose.

He encourages aspiring leaders to begin close to the customer, gaining firsthand insights into real challenges before moving into strategy. Mastering both the product and the process is essential, as is maintaining curiosity about emerging technologies in conveying, dosing, and automation.

Regional awareness, paired with localized action, ensures that strategies remain practical and effective. True leadership, Gianluca believes, requires a clear and shared vision, one that connects sustainability, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction.

Investing in people stands at the heart of his approach. Empowering teams through mentorship, training, and autonomy not only strengthens the organization but also builds leaders for the future. At the same time, he emphasizes disciplined growth, data-driven decision-making, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability.

To Gianluca, leadership is not merely about managing operations; it is about inspiring transformation. It is about mobilizing people, ideas, and innovation to shape a future where industrial progress and responsibility advance hand in hand.