Chinese cars get motor show running

Geely, Great Wall models make debut as organizers say Nairobi event is biggest ever

Several Chinese automakers made their debut this year at the Total Motor Show in Kenya, a biannual showcase for industry insiders and enthusiasts. Organizers say the event, held at Nairobi's Kenyatta International Conventional Center from Sept 18 to 20, was the biggest yet, with about 120 stands, 400 vehicles on display and 30,000 visitors.

Since its launch in 1994, the trade show has been dominated by automakers from Europe, the United States and Japan, with truck manufacturer FAW previously China's only representative.

This year, however, saw Zhejiang Geely Holding Group present two models, the Emgrand EC7 and LC Cross, while Great Wall attracted attention by displaying both its single cab and double cab pickups. Three models from JMC, based in East China's Jiangxi province, were also on show: the N350 pickup, the four-wheel-drive JMC Boarding and the Cherry Tigo SUV.

Geely cars have been available in Kenya since December and are distributed by Panda Auto Geely Ltd, a subsidiary of Simba Corp. Simba holds franchises for several vehicle brands, including Mitsubishi, Renault and Mahindra.

Great Wall is a partner of distributor DT Dobie. Eliud Charagu, one of its sales executive, says sales of the Great Wall pickup have been exceptionally good.

In the past three months, the DT Dobie office in Mombassa has sold 20 Great Wall pickups, including single and double cabs, he says, adding that the figures had encouraged his company to take on more models from the Great Wall stable, such as its SUV.

"I drive a Great Wall pickup, and I can assure you that this mid-sized vehicle outperforms other brands in its class," Charagu says. "I'm sure in the next few years it will be the one to beat in its category."

In the heavy truck category, the star attraction at the Nairobi show was FAW. Ramzan Kassam, a sales executive with franchise holder Trans Africa Motors Ltd, says the stand showing the vehicles received overwhelming numbers of visitors.

"We're celebrating two things: Apart from being one of the best-selling brands in Kenya, we're also marking 10 years since the vehicles entered the East African market," he says. "We took a risk and now we're reaping the benefits."

He says other Chinese trucks such as those made by Shacman, JAC and Beiben were on the right path to gaining a niche in the East African market because of their performance and reliability, while FAW's exceptional service had boosted the overall image of Chinese brands.

Kathleen Guan, managing director of Sino Truck Machinery and Equipment Co Ltd, says she was excited to see so many people visit her company's stand at the show. Most were people in the construction industry and were particularly interested in Sino Truck's tipper, she says.

Foton East Africa Ltd, a franchise of Beijing-based Beiqi Motor Co Ltd, were not left behind, as it showcased some of its vehicles assembled in Kenya. Foton established a $10 million factory in Kenya in 2010 and has been distributing vehicles throughout East Africa ever since. The plant can produce 10,000 vehicles a year.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich officially opened the show on Sept 18 flanked by Ada Eze, managing director of Total Kenya; Adil Popat, chairman of the Kenya Motor Industry Association; and Fred Simiyu, managing director of the Nairobi convention center.

Eze welcomed participants to what she termed the "largest and most prestigious motor exhibition in central Africa", saying that all the stands were booked this year well in advance and that there is already a waiting list for the next one.

"This event is staged above all as a service to motorists in Kenya - a unique opportunity to see the latest vehicles of every make and type and size in one place," she says.

According to Simiyu, Kenya has positioned itself as an attractive destination for business tourism, as evidenced by large multinational hotels and companies, such as Villa Rosa Kempinski, Radisson Blu and Best Western.

"Total Motor Show is one of the surest ways to package and increase the attractiveness of Kenya as a preferred global destination," he adds.

For China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 09/25/2015 page23)