Alterra Capital Partners has announced a strategic investment in Cobra Group Holdings, joining founder Donovin Cronning and CEO Lloyd Darby in supporting the company’s next phase of expansion across Africa and international markets.
Cobra Group, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, operates through three specialized divisions, Cobra Projects, Cobra Fire, and Cobra Tech. The company is a leading designer and manufacturer of customized vehicles for mining support, firefighting, and emergency response. It also produces heavy-duty hose reels and is recognized as a top supplier of flow path technology across multiple regions.
Founded in 1986, Cobra has built a reputation for engineering excellence and reliability. Its operations focus on modifying original equipment manufacturer (OEM) chassis cabs to create specialized vehicles such as service units, water bowsers, and firefighting trucks. The company serves clients across Africa, Australia, and the Middle East, delivering solutions tailored to some of the world’s most demanding industrial environments.
In a statement, Renschke Volschenk, Partner at Alterra Capital Partners, said:
We are excited to partner with the team at Cobra for the next phase of growth, building upon their historic success as a market leader in a niche, yet indispensable, industry. Cobra is an excellent business with strong fundamentals that really drives impact across the continent. This is exactly the kind of high-growth, differentiated, and resilient B2B business Alterra seeks to back.
The partnership is expected to unlock new opportunities for Cobra to scale its operations, enter new markets, and enhance its manufacturing capabilities.
Donovin Cronning, Founder of Cobra, stated:
Since our founding in 1986, we’ve built Cobra with a focus on engineering excellence, customer trust, and impact. Partnering with Alterra marks an exciting new chapter—one that allows us to accelerate growth, deepen our footprint across Africa and beyond, and continue delivering critical solutions that improve safety and productivity in some of the world’s toughest working environments.
Lloyd Darby, CEO of Cobra, added:
We’re thrilled to join forces with Alterra as we expand into new markets and scale our capabilities. Their experience in manufacturing and growth-oriented partnerships will help us unlock new value for our customers, while remaining true to our mission of delivering specialized, high-quality vehicles that support local industry, safety, and economic development.
This investment underscores Alterra’s commitment to supporting resilient, impact-driven businesses that play a vital role in regional development and industrial innovation.
