Over the years, African countries have depended largely on cars imported from Asia, Europe and America to meet their mobility needs.
This has resulted in the loss of jobs that would have been created if these nations had developed their automobile industries.
In Nigeria, for instance, imported vehicles are among the items that are struggling with the scarce dollars, and this is seriously affecting the economy.
This is why governments in the continent have developed auto policies that are encouraging private players to build auto assembling plants to retain jobs and build capacity.
Here are some of the auto companies in Africa that are bridging the capacity gap in the continent:
Innoson Motors
Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd (IVM) is owned by Innocent Chukwuma, a Nigerian entrepreneur. It was established in 1987 as a motorcycle manufacturing company but has grown into one of the biggest car manufacturers in Africa.
The plant is located in Nnewi, Anambra and its vehicles are widely used in West African countries like Mali, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.
Wallyscar – Tunisia
Wallyscar manufactures a range of 4×4 vehicles that are mostly used in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
It was founded in Tunisia in 2006 by two brothers, Omar and Zeid Guiga with the goal of making the vehicles affordable, sporty, and stylish. It sells between 300-600 units a year and is now planning to expand into the production of electric cars.
The brand sells in Panama, France, Spain, Qatar, and Morocco.
Read also: Edo, Innoson mull partnership to convert petrol vehicles to CNG
Kantanka – Ghana
Kantanka Automobile Company manufactures its brands of vehicles in Ghana, and they come in SUV and pickup.
The manufacturing plant is situated in Gomoa Mpota within the central region of Ghana and was established by the Ghanaian Apostle Kwadwo Safo.
Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) – Uganda
Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) produces Kiira EV Smack, an electric hybrid car manufactured in Uganda. The brand was born from an invention initiated by students and eventually gained the Ugandan government’s support.
Kiira Motors Corporation is a State Enterprise established to promote value addition in the domestic automotive industry for job creation and diversification of the Ugandan economy as a key growth area in line with Vision 2040. It is 96 percent owned by the Republic of Uganda represented by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, and 4 percent owned by Makerere University.
Read also: Coscharis expands vehicle assembly operations amid economic woes
Mobius Motors – Kenya
Mobius Motors was founded in Kenya in 2011 by Joel Jackson. The first generation of Mobius II was officially launched in 2015 with the next generation that was released in 2019.
Mobius runs with the slogan ‘Designed for Africa – Built in Africa’. The first batch of the low-cost vehicles was released towards the end of 2017.
Mobius vehicles are built to withstand the African terrain and road transportation needs.
Laraki Automobile – Morocco
Laraki was established in 1999 by Abdesslam Laraki, a Moroccan designer and entrepreneur who became wealthy by importing cars in Morocco in 1973.
His son and the current owner of the firm is Abdeslam Laraki, a Moroccan designer who started out creating luxurious yachts and created the eponym company Laraki. Then following the steps of his father, he studied automobile design in Switzerland and soon after launched his first model, the Laraki Fulgura, in 2002.
In 2012, the conceptual artist Eric Van Hove arrived in Marrakech to resume work on an ambitious sculptural endeavour he had prepared for years: V12 Laraki. In the space of nine months, he gathered 42 master craftsmen from the region and began rebuilding a Mercedes 6.2 L V12 engine using rural materials and centuries-old craft techniques from the North African country.
