JAC Motors expands into 28 African countries
Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., Ltd., JAC Motors, China’s automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer, has announced the results of its expansion program in Africa in 2018, declaring that it has established a presence in 28 countries across the continent.
Spurred on by China’s Belt and Road initiative (BRI), the country’s program to fund and build infrastructure projects around the world along the ancient Silk Road trade routes, JAC Motors has recorded exports of its SUVs, light-duty trucks, medium- & heavy-duty trucks, pickup trucks, vans, sedans, MPV and motor coaches to 28 African countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, South Africa, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Congo (Kinshasa), Mozambique, and more.
The gains that JAC Motors has made in the African market can be attributed to its emphasis on product quality and localization, as well as its after sales system.
“We are proud of our accomplishments in Africa in 2018. JAC Motors has focused on localization while improving product development and quality,” said the head of overseas development at JAC Motors. “In addition, we have been working with local dealers and distributors to build up our after-sales service capabilities, including a five-year or 150,000-kilometre warranty. We’ve also sent technology specialists to give necessary support and training for the distributors’ after-sales staff. These strategies have helped JAC Motors create a positive association with our brand among African consumers.”
Since its entry into the Algerian market in 2002, JAC Motors has steadily grown its footprint in Africa. Over the following 16 years the company has exported nearly 85,000 units, expanding the scope of its sales during that time from light-duty trucks to include all of its passenger and commercial vehicles. Some of JAC Motor’s most significant achievements include:
Rapid growth of pickup and light-duty trucks sales in Nigeria, making JAC Motors the second-largest Chinese automaker by export value in the country;
JAC Motor’s light-duty truck continues to be the best seller in Algeria, Mozambique and Congo (Kinshasa);
The company has sold 5,000 passenger vehicles in Egypt since 2015, making it the largest Chinese exporter of SUVs in the region;
In 2018, the company introduced their pickup and light-duty range of trucks in the well-established South African market, marking a significant breakthrough.
Moreover, JAC has completed the first steps in its transition from a simple product exporter to a technology and capital exporter in African continent through the establishment of local plants and joint ventures.
The company currently operates local manufacturing and assembling bases in Nigeria, Sudan and Angola. It has also established an East African joint venture with Aviation Industry in Kenya, besides JAC Motors and its partner to build Africa’s largest light truck SKD assembly base in Algeria.
Moving forward, JAC Motors remains committed to the development of the African auto market in and is currently preparing for the opening of its SKD assembly projects in South Africa and Egypt while actively seeking manufacturing, technical development, sales, service and auto finance partners in the region to further the company’s expansion.