The bike bug first bit Jaco van der Merwe in high school, and he and his brother started tinkering around in their home garage, pulling apart and reconstructing bikes. It’s this enduring passion – we call it fanaticism – plus his intimate knowledge of the inner mechanics of every bike on the planet that made business boom to such an extent that, by the end of 2004, he was forced to set up shop in Pretoria North and Race Screen Technology was born.
Since then, RST has developed a national footprint, with a warehouse and retail outlet in Pretoria North, and a new branch in Montana, and plans are afoot to export to Namibia and beyond.
Jaco was always clear about the company’s mission: In the face of inflated prices in the industry, he was determined to produce and source quality products and parts at affordable prices. This is now a key differentiator in the business – and bikers will travel from all parts of the country to buy a windshield from Race Screen Technology. Along with unbeatable prices, Jaco and the team offer a level of customisation and specialist service that is rare in the industry.
And if visitors to the Pretoria North and Montana premises feel like they’re part of a family business, that’s because Jaco and the team go out of their way to keep it on a first-name basis with all their customers and suppliers. They have rapidly earned a reputation founded on trust and reliability.