More than eight decades ago, Gainchund Ramdutt stepped into the printing trade in Durban. By 1969, armed with skill and ambition, he founded Art Printers- a family business that would eventually become part of South Africa’s history.
During the anti-apartheid struggle, Art Printers wasn’t just a commercial outfit. It became a quiet but critical player in the liberation movement, printing banned posters and pamphlets for the (African National Congress) ANC, Cosatu, the Natal Indian Congress and the UDF, often working late into the night to evade police surveillance. The Ramdutt family charged nothing for this “struggle printing,” risking their livelihoods for freedom.
With democracy in 1994 came a new chapter. Art Printers pivoted from resistance to resilience, evolving into a professional commercial printing house serving businesses with high-quality, large-volume print work. However, as technology transformed the industry, the company realised that to stay competitive, it needed to embrace digital printing alongside its lithographic heritage.
That’s when Konica Minolta South Africa became the partner of choice.
“For at least 15 years, Konica Minolta South Africa has been our go-to brand for all digital printing needs,” says Sanveer Ramdutt, third-generation general manager of Art Printers. “Given their reputation for quality, customer service, and continuous innovation, our loyalty will always remain with them.”
Every upgrade and expansion has deepened that trust. The company’s latest investment, the Konica Minolta AccurioPress C4080, has elevated their proofing process, enabling flawless checks before full print runs. “Proofs are the final checkpoint. With the C4080’s setup simplicity and brilliant imaging technology, we deliver consistent, stunning results that wow customers every time,” says Sanveer.
The C4080 can print flat sheets, duplex long sheets of up to 864mm, and the biggest media variety in the market, from thin to thick paper, embossed paper, envelopes and many more, whilst all the time ensuring outstanding automated image stability. The durable performance allows up to 81 A4 pages to be printed per minute, and up to 45 A3 pages per minute.
But beyond technical gains, the story of Art Printers offers a bigger lesson: businesses that adapt, invest in innovation, and put trust at the centre of customer relationships are the ones that endure.
For Art Printers, this is about more than efficiency. “Our reputation was built on excellence in packaging and litho printing. With Konica Minolta, our digital printing now carries that same stamp of quality and trust,” says Sanveer.
Mohammed Vachiat, Chief Commercial Officer Sales and Innovation at Konica Minolta South Africa, affirms this perspective: “Konica Minolta South Africa understands the importance of building trusting relationships, fostering collaboration, and providing solutions to real problems. Our new generation of production systems has been designed to maximise uptime, deliver consistent quality, and meet the demands of fast, short-run production.”
As part of Bidvest Branded Products, Konica Minolta South Africa’s 70+ points of presence across Southern Africa ensure that this technology and service-led approach reaches businesses like Art Printers, helping them move from legacy to leadership.
Art Printers’ journey shows that heritage alone is not enough; survival in today’s market depends on embracing innovation without compromising on values. Their partnership with Konica Minolta demonstrates how technology, when paired with trust and consistency, can help businesses transform history into a competitive advantage.
From printing for freedom to printing for the future, Art Printers’ story is proof that resilience, trust, and innovation are what keep businesses relevant- generation after generation.