What Qrent does

Qrent is a South African IT asset management company that rents, sells, and manages the full lifecycle of refurbished IT hardware for enterprise and mid-market customers across Africa and select international markets. Founded in 2003 as the IT remarketing arm of InnoVent Rental and Asset Management Solutions (Pty) Ltd and headquartered in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, Qrent rents laptops, desktops, Apple devices, tablets, printers, and projectors under short-term (1 day to 12 months) and long-term (up to 36 months) agreements, with a 5-unit minimum order for registered businesses. Its core technology is a 360-step Circular Computing remanufacturing process — delivered through an exclusive African distribution partnership — that disassembles, individually inspects, refurbishes, and reassembles each device to a BSI Kitemark-certified standard with sub-3% RMA rates.

The company monetises across five revenue streams: subscription-style IT equipment rentals, outright refurbished-equipment sales through its Qstore e-commerce sub-brand (qstore.co.za), IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services compliant with South Africa's National Environmental Management Waste Act and Extended Producer Responsibility framework, Refurbishment as a Service (RaaS) for clients redeploying internal assets, and a wholesale Reseller Programme distributing refurbished inventory to IT resellers in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia at up to 50% below new-equipment pricing. All refurbished devices carry third-party carbon-neutral certification with verified impact metrics (~300 kg CO₂ avoided and up to 190,000 litres of water saved per device).

Qrent's go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales targeting CIOs and procurement leaders, a channel reseller programme across Africa, and the Qstore e-commerce storefront for sub-5-unit purchases. Customer concentration skews toward BPO/call centre operators needing on-demand capacity scaling, large JSE- and London-listed corporates seeking 30–50% end-user device cost savings, IT resellers seeking margin expansion, and government/public institutions pursuing ESG-aligned procurement. Operations span 7 countries (South Africa, UK, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, UAE) with 5 additional satellite offices in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, supported by 101–250 employees under the leadership of co-founder and CEO DJ Kumbula and Managing Executive Kwirirai Rukowo.

Name

Qrent

Legal name

InnoVent Rental and Asset Management Solutions (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://qrent.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Qrent is a South African IT asset management company that rents, refurbishes, and resells certified pre-owned laptops, desktops, and related hardware to BPO operators, large enterprises, IT resellers, and government clients across 7 African and international markets, delivering 30–50% cost savings versus new-equipment procurement through a Circular Computing-powered 360-step remanufacturing process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Equipment Rental & Refurbishment Services

NAICS

Consumer Electronics and Appliances Rental (532210), Consumer Electronics and Appliances Rental (53221), Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53249), All Other Consumer Goods Rental (532289)

SIC

Services-Computer Rental & Leasing (7377), Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045), Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)

akta.pro primary industry

Electronics Rental, Leasing & Subscription (Refurbished/Pre-Owned) (CRACAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electronics Refurbishment, Repair & Reuse (Remarketing/Resale) (BPALAIAD), Parts, Components, Refurbished & Reverse Logistics (Electronics) Distribution (CRAOACAK)

Keywords

• IT equipment rental
• Refurbished hardware leasing
• IT asset disposal
• Laptop remanufacturing
• Circular IT solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. IT Equipment Rental (Short & Long Term): Short-term rentals (1 day to 12 months) and long-term rentals (up to 36 months) for laptops, desktops, Apple products, tablets, printers, and projectors. Includes delivery, spares/replacements, insurance, warranty, and technical support. Minimum order of 5 units for businesses with registered company status.
2. Refurbished Equipment Sales: Sale of certified refurbished IT hardware (ex-rental equipment) at 30-50% below new-equivalent retail pricing via Qstore (qstore.co.za). Equipment undergoes full refurbishment and quality testing before resale.
3. IT Asset Disposition (ITAD): End-to-end IT asset disposition programme covering collection, secure data wiping, refurbishment where possible, responsible recycling, and chain-of-custody documentation in compliance with South African environmental regulations including National Environmental Management Waste Act and Extended Producer Responsibility framework.
4. Refurbishment as a Service (RaaS): Managed refurbishment service where Qrent collects retired or underutilised IT equipment, performs certified data wiping and refurbishment, and returns devices for internal redeployment, staff purchase programmes, or CSI initiatives.
5. Wholesale/Reseller Programme: Wholesale distribution of certified refurbished IT hardware to authorised resellers across Africa. Resellers access inventory at discounted rates and resell with warranty backing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Qrent rents certified refurbished IT equipment (laptops, desktops, Apple products, tablets, printers, projectors) on short-term (1 day to 12 months) and long-term (up to 36 months) rental agreements to businesses across Africa. Beyond rental, the company sells refurbished equipment via its Qstore e-commerce storefront, provides IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) and Refurbishment as a Service (RaaS), and operates a wholesale Reseller Programme for IT resellers.

Product overview

Qrent is a South African IT asset management company offering a comprehensive portfolio of IT hardware rental, sales, and lifecycle management solutions. The core offering centres on short and long-term rentals of certified refurbished IT equipment (laptops, desktops, Apple products, tablets, printers, projectors) alongside a purchase programme through its Qstore sub-brand. Key services include IT Asset Disposal (ITAD), Refurbishment as a Service (RaaS), IT Asset Tracking, and a Resellers Programme for wholesale distribution across Africa. The Circular IT Programme represents a sustainability-focused initiative combining remanufactured devices (via Circular Computing partnership) with end-to-end asset management. The Rental Programme serves as the unified platform offering flexible terms, support services, and nationwide delivery for corporate clients, BPOs, and SMEs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Laptop Rentals

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-50% cost savings on end-user device costs (laptops and desktops) vs buying new
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Circular ComputingflagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2025Strategic partnership with Circular Computing, the global leader in laptop remanufacturing and refurbishment. Qrent gained exclusive distribution rights across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia for Circular Computing's BSI Kitemark-certified remanufacturing process (360-step), delivering 'equal to or better than new' laptops with RMA rates under 3%. Each device carries certified carbon-neutral credentials backed by formal measurements. The partnership positions Qrent to offer the world's highest quality remanufactured and refurbished laptops to the African market and empowers CIOs to achieve ESG targets without compromising on quality.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dell Refurbished: Dell's OEM-certified refurbished programme offering factory-refurbished enterprise hardware with full warranty. Represents direct OEM competition to Qrent's value proposition with stronger supply chain and balance sheet, though lacks Africa-specific distribution.
• Iron Mountain: Global information management company with an ITAD division (Iron Mountain Asset Lifecycle Management) providing secure data destruction, IT asset disposition, and refurbished resale. Overlaps significantly in ITAD services though broader portfolio includes records management and storage.
• GRENKE: German-listed (SDAX) specialist in IT and small-ticket equipment leasing for SMEs and resellers across Europe. Comparable business model (subscription IT leasing) but broader geographic and customer footprint, serving as an incumbent reference point for the leasing category.
• CHG-MERIDIAN: Germany-headquartered global IT leasing and lifecycle management provider with €2B+ managed asset volume. Comparable in IT equipment rental and lifecycle management with broader scale, established European customer base, and technology-refresh expertise.

Emerging players

• Tier1 IT: UK/Australia-headquartered refurbished IT hardware provider serving enterprise, education, and reseller markets with warranty-backed devices. Comparable in refurbished-IT focus with comparable customer segments though different geographic emphasis.
• Eco IT Solutions: UK-based refurbished IT hardware and ITAD provider serving enterprise customers with carbon-neutral refurbished equipment. Comparable in circular-IT positioning and ESG-aligned value proposition, though smaller scale.

Direct peers

• Wisetek: Global ITAD and refurbished-IT provider operating across Ireland, US, and Asia with enterprise-grade data destruction, refurbishment, and resale services. Directly comparable in ITAD + refurbishment model serving large enterprise customers.
• 2ND Life: UK-based refurbished IT hardware provider co-founded by the same CEO (DJ Kumbula) as Qrent, offering current-spec, repurposed, tier-1 IT brands to large enterprises at 30-50% lower cost. Direct sister operation with overlapping business model, customer profile, and refurbishment supply chain.
• Circular Computing: UK-based global leader in laptop remanufacturing and the strategic partner supplying BSI Kitemark-certified 360-step remanufactured laptops to Qrent. Operates in the same circular-IT category with comparable enterprise customer focus and ESG positioning.

Regional players

• Metrofile: South African-listed records and information management company with IT asset lifecycle and storage capabilities. Comparable in South African enterprise market for IT lifecycle management, though broader portfolio spans physical records management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Qrent-South-Africa-107133920711252
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qrent-rentals
• Instagraminstagram.com/qrent_it_rentals

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Qrent