Automaker JAC targets African market

Auto manufacturers are among the international businesses that stand to gain the most from increased social stability and prosperity in Africa, which has seen its economy maintain an average annual growth rate of 5 percent in recent years.

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd. (JAC), a major Chinese automaker from Anhui province, was one of the first homegrown auto companies to have a presence on the continent, which is seeing explosive growth in the auto market.

Sales of JAC’s heavy-duty truck are growing rapidly in its market segment in China, and it is also increasingly popular in Africa. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

International industry insiders predict total automobile sales in Africa will reach 1 million units by the end of this year.

Analysts expect the market to grow at an even faster rate in the next 10 years, and its potential is comparable to that of South America.

JAC first entered the continent when it delivered a batch of light-duty trucks to Algeria in 2001.

Since then, JAC has sold vehicles to more than 30 countries and regions, including Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Ghana.

Its product portfolio in Africa was also expanded to cover light, medium and heavy-duty trucks as well as passenger vehicles.

Meticulous tests and trials are conducted on a JAC light-duty truck at the company’s assembly plant in Morocco before it is delivered to dealers.

Growing recognition

Because of its practical focus on responsible attitude and high-quality products, JAC is becoming an increasingly recognized brand in Africa among individuals and commercial clients alike.

International companies operating in Africa are also turning to the Chinese automaker in search of quality vehicles for their fleets.

For instance, Coca Cola’s Algerian branch selected JAC’s light truck several years ago because the company’s local management was impressed by its high-performance turbocharged engine.

Because of the trucks’ performance, drivability and quality as well as the company’s after-sales services, Coca Cola has become a loyal client of JAC in Algeria.

JAC is also the second-largest commercial vehicle brand in Egypt, with more than 3,000 vehicles on the roads.

JAC’s presence in Egypt is another successful example of how a brand can grow from obscurity to achieve wide recognition.

Some early customers might have a random selection when buying a JAC vehicle, but the ability of the vehicles to perfectly adapt to the harsh road environments in the country eventually won the brand a reputation for quality.

The high degree of satisfaction among customers created a strong word-of-mouth effect, which helped the brand build its client base in Egypt.

In 2008, JAC first brought a line of passenger vehicles to the African market. Its A-class cars, including J3 and J3 Turin were added to the fleets of a number of local taxi companies.

In the past 11 years, nearly 50,000 JAC vehicles have been sold in Africa. Year-to-date delivery on the continent in 2012 totaled 13,000 units, up 82 percent from a year ago.

Accounting for 25 percent of JAC’s exports, the African market is a key part of the automaker’s push toward globalization.

In addition to high-quality, cost-effective products, the company’s excellent service is also an important element of JAC’s success in Africa.

JAC’s products are on display in an auto show in Algeria.

JAC’s service is strongly supported by its expansive network of dealerships, after-sales service facilities and spare parts distribution centers.

In its major markets like Algeria, Egypt and Angola, JAC holds a service month campaign every year to provide customers with free vehicle checkups.

The company also visits users regularly to offer auto care and maintenance services.

According to the company, the focus of its customer service is solving problems rapidly and effectively.

In Angola, for instance, some users once complained about the loss of power in their heavy-duty trucks.

In order to solve the problem in the first time, the JAC service team inspected the vehicles and discussed all night long. They found lack of regular maintenance to be the cause of the problem. They offered maintenance services on site and gave training on how to take care of the vehicles.

These experiences have proven to be valuable. While solving the real problems for customers, the JAC team found it is necessary to offer more training to customers.

machenguang@chinadaily.com.cn