Establishment of the Regional Automotive Industry Platform of East Africa has enhanced East African states to move towards integrated automotive market. They instinct it will be productive for global automotive manufacturers to invest in the region in both assembly and component manufacture.The new platform (Raipea) aims to help the region save more than $2 billion in car import costs annually. At their 19th Ordinary Meeting held in Kampala.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 4th January 2019

Scania East Africa has launched its new truck generation becoming the second market in Africa to roll out the new truck range.  The new models have been launched in phases across the globe since August 2016 revealing results of ten years of development work, billions of dollars of investments and more than 10 million kilometres of test driving. Scania is extending its offering by customising trucks for each type of customer in the highly.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 15th November 2018

Uber Technologies may roll out a new service in Kenya to help user’s book seats on minibuses that ply the streets of the congested capital, if tests on the product in Egypt and Mexico prove successful, a company executive said on Wednesday. Uber estimates that more than a third of Kenyans in Nairobi use the often crowded minibuses, known as matatus, as their main form of transport around the city, Uber’s East Africa General Manager.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 15th November 2018

Volkswagen is considering a component assembly plant in Ethiopia, in addition to the two recently announced assembly plants in Ghana and Nigeria. The foray into Africa represents a growth opportunity for the car maker in light of the expected recovery of the continent’s economies recently hit by the downturn in commodities. According to the Export-Import Bank’s Africa Trade Report 2018, African economies will grow by 4.1 per cent.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 10th October 2018

The East African Community is paving way for more local assembly points and manufacturing plants of affordable vehicles in the region. This comes day after an Extra Ordinary Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment met last week to have conversations on industrialization matters in the community which has become a major agenda for the EAC Heads of State Summit. Among the items on the agenda were the consideration of the:.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th September 2018

Tanzania offers many opportunities and the 21st Autoexpo Africa scheduled for November 2018 in Dar es Salaam is one of the mainstream avenues for marketing a global brand like Hyundai to the East African region. The company is preparing to introduce new products and is working on expanding its portfolio of vehicles to cater to the next generation car owner. Hyundai believes that people’s expectation toward individual mobility requires more.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 22nd September 2018

Qatar Airlines will launch direct flights to Mombasa, Kenya’s second biggest city. Expected to happen in December, the move will increase the competition for local carriers.   After Nairobi, this is the second destination in Kenya to receive the service. The airlines will undertake a four times weekly flight from Doha to Mombasa. Airbus A320 will be used for this operation, with 12 business class seats and 120 economy class seats..... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 12th September 2018

EkoRent Africa, an electric mobility company has launched a full electric vehicle service called Nopia Ride in Nairob,i Kenya earlier this month.  "We have now launched our zero-emission electric transportation service pilot in Nairobi. We aim to increase our fleet size to around couple of hundred vehicles by the end of the year," the company says calling on Kenyans to register either to ride or drive.   The venture was.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 27th August 2018

Car Manufacturers are targeting East Africa to setup assembly line within the region of the continent.Simba Corp, a Kenyan company is in discussion with 4 automakers for setting up their assembly units in the country. While Chief Executive Officer of Simba Corp Adil Popat confirmed discussion with Renault of France about their assembling unit, the other car manufacturer showing interested is Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, of India. He further.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th July 2018

The chairman and managing director of Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) , Thomas Schaefer says "I’m trying to create something pan-African". Having assembly started operations in Kenya in 2016 and now 2018  in Rwanda. It’s not just the engine, VWSA also produces the flourshing compact car, the Volkswagen Polo. The organization has recently invested $20m in Rwanda realizing the prospective. The annual capacity of.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 21st June 2018

Volkswagen was founded on the 28th of May 1937 by the German Labour Front. Fondly known as VW, it is the flagship brand of the Volkswagen Group one of the biggest automobile firms by sales in the world. Revenues for the 2017 financial year hit a record high of $264 billion.   Volkswagen’s Rwandan factory has set a target of at least 2,000 cars a year in the beginning but eyeing 10,000 cars. Polo, Passat and Terramont will be.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 4th June 2018

The French tire manufacturer, Michelin and global distribution specialist, CFAO have announced their joint venture for the import and distribution of premium quality tires in Kenya and Uganda. The agreement says CFAO holds 51% and Michelin holds 49%. No other financial terms and conditions were disclosed This venture will provide tires to the population of 90 million people for cars, vans and light trucks. Michelin is looking forward to.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 14th June 2018