Castrol turns 125, looks to the future with new strategy

2024 marks a momentous 125th anniversary milestone for Castrol, a global leader in lubricants, and part of the bp group. As the global brand celebrates its 125th year, it is launching a bold new ‘Onward, Upward, Forward’ strategy to meet the changing needs of customers. Castrol’s African customers will also note a special 125-year commemorative logo that will be used throughout 2024, not only locally but in events and sponsorships across the world.

New strategy 

While Castrol will be driving all three pillars – Onward, Upward and Forward – globally, in Africa, its focus will be on the “Onward” and “Upward” pillars: 

Onward: Castrol has opened over 50 Castrol Auto Services in Southern Africa and is rolling them out to other parts of the continent. Some of the key focus areas for these auto services will be supporting the development of female workshop owners, offering solar to independent workshops, launching an exclusive loyalty programme for mechanics through Fastscan and extending the Castrol partnership with Renault-Nissan until the end of 2027. In this partnership, we are co-designing and supplying aftermarket engine oils to the worldwide group. Castrol has also extended to 2026 its agreement with Jaguar Land Rover to exclusively recommend approved Castrol engine oils.

Upward: Within this pillar, Castrol will be developing employees’ skills, including in technical skills in new technologies, practical training, life skills, business management, and financial literacy. The company will also be going galactic, with its lubricants being used over 250 million miles away on NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover. The precision instruments on the vehicle (including a weather station, ultraviolent spectrometer and laser micro imager) must be able to operate in Mars’ extreme environment, a planet where in summer it is 20°C at the equator and -153°C at the poles. For this, Castrol specially developed Braycote greases and Brayco oils, which maintain their ability to provide lubrication despite dramatic temperature fluctuations.

Already in action 

The world of mobility is changing, and Castrol has the potential to help drive that change. To signal this change and reflect its new direction, Castrol refreshed its iconic brand in 2023. 

To continue being at the cutting edge of innovation and be future-ready, Castrol is investing further in its global technology hubs in China, Germany, and the Americas. In the UK, Castrol has a planned $60 million investment in a new, state-of-the-art electric vehicle (EV) battery testing centre and analytical laboratory.

Michelle Jou, CEO of Castrol concludes: “As we celebrate 125 years, Castrol is not just reflecting on the past but charting a course for the future. Our 'Onward, Upward, Forward' strategy embodies our dedication to accelerating our customers’ progress, helping them to face the challenges of tomorrow. We aim to grow our core business in new ways, using our cutting-edge technology and our trusted global brand to stay at the forefront of our sector. We’re developing more circular offers to help customers achieve their sustainability goals and exploring exciting new growth opportunities beyond lubricants. It’s a privilege to take Castrol’s 125-year-old iconic brand forward to serve the changing needs of customers and set our business up for future success.” 

“Our constant focus on listening to what our customers need and delivering the best products to meet those different needs has ensured that Castrol has maintained strong brand recognition in Africa for decades,” says Melanie van Straaten, Sales Director of Castrol Southern Africa. “Our success is underpinned by our rigorous testing, quality control and investments in research, which will enable us to keep our premier positioning on the continent.”

This sentiment is echoed by Jennifer Heyes, Marketing Director for Castrol Africa, who says: “We believe in pushing the boundaries. Castrol's pursuit of leadership is driven by several key factors that set us apart. Innovation combined with continuous learning allows us to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market.”