Canon Colorstream is a game changer for Bidvest Data · Dean Van Der Speck · Production Manager

Near the airport, you find a company called Bidvest Data, and, as the name suggests, it’s not just print. The company still does transactional print and manages data on behalf of clients, but as postal services in South Africa changed, the company moved into producing true Omnichannel products, where Bidvest Data produces print and various types of landing pages, and interacts with users via WhatsApp and more. Bidvest Data also moved more and more into book production and recently invested in a Canon Colorstream 8000 to complement both toner-based equipment and older, still-used equipment, like the OCÉ Jetstream 2000.

Currently, the investments are in more binding capacity as they aim to sell more – many more books 🙂

Great visiting Bidvest Data on a cancellation of another visit, so also a warm thank you to Lee-Ann Saunders from Canon to introduce us to both Dean and Kim from Bidvest – a super great day 🙂

En Print is Back — and Books are Changing at Bidvest Data · Kim Farinha · Sales Manager

Print is Back — and Books are Changing at Bidvest Data · Kim Farinha · Sales Manager

At Bidvest Data outside Cape Town, books are an important part of the business — and for Kim, selling them is about much more than price. Publishers expect competitive pricing, excellent quality and increasingly fast turnaround times. Digital print has changed those expectations dramatically, but it has also created new opportunities. With Canon ColorStream inkjet technology, Bidvest Data can produce short runs efficiently and offer affordable colour printing while maintaining the quality customers expect. Today, typical book orders may start around 50 copies, but the direction is clear. Book-of-one production, fulfilment and direct distribution could become an increasingly important part of the business, allowing publishers to reduce inventory, lower financial risk and sell titles without having hundreds or thousands of copies sitting in a warehouse. Bidvest Data already serves customers beyond South Africa, shipping into Sub-Saharan Africa as well as international markets including North America. The ambition is to make the company an increasingly complete partner — printing, fulfilling and ultimately delivering books directly to the customer. And while technology continues to develop, some traditions remain. Hardcover books at Bidvest Data are still case-made largely by hand. It may sound old-school compared with highly automated book factories elsewhere in the world, but Kim explains that the craftsmanship and resulting quality are exactly what bring customers back. After many years in the printing industry, Kim has seen enormous technological change, particularly with inkjet. Colour quality, productivity and economics have reached a point where completely new business models are possible. Her outlook for the future is equally clear: Print is not disappearing. Print is back — and here to stay.

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Sep 01 , 2026
Bidvest Data
- Boston Cir
8001

South Africa
Tel. : 21 935 3300
Email : info@bidvestdata.co.za

Mon August 31st

En

Print is Back — and Books are Changing at B...

At Bidvest Data outside Cape Town, books are an important part of the business — and for Kim, selling them is about much more than price. Publishers expect competitive pricing, excellent quality and increasingly fast turnaround times. Digital print has changed those expectations dramatically, but it has also created new opportunities. With Canon ColorStream inkjet technology, Bidvest Data can produce short runs efficiently and offer affordable colour printing while maintaining the quality customers expect. Today, typical book orders may start around 50 copies, but the direction is clear. Book-of-one production, fulfilment and direct distribution could become an increasingly important part of the business, allowing publishers to reduce inventory, lower financial risk and sell titles without having hundreds or thousands of copies sitting in a warehouse. Bidvest Data already serves customers beyond South Africa, shipping into Sub-Saharan Africa as well as international markets including North America. The ambition is to make the company an increasingly complete partner — printing, fulfilling and ultimately delivering books directly to the customer. And while technology continues to develop, some traditions remain. Hardcover books at Bidvest Data are still case-made largely by hand. It may sound old-school compared with highly automated book factories elsewhere in the world, but Kim explains that the craftsmanship and resulting quality are exactly what bring customers back. After many years in the printing industry, Kim has seen enormous technological change, particularly with inkjet. Colour quality, productivity and economics have reached a point where completely new business models are possible. Her outlook for the future is equally clear: Print is not disappearing. Print is back — and here to stay.