JAC Targets African Market

www.chinatrucks.com: JAC first entered the African market when it delivered a batch of light-duty trucks to Algeria in 2001. Eleven years later, nearly 50,000 JAC vehicles have been sold in Africa, and in 2012, another 13,000 units were brought into the African market, up 82 percent from a year ago. Accounting for 25 percent of JAC's exports, the African market is a key part of JAC's push toward globalization, with vehicles sold to more than 30 countries and regions in African markets.

Growing recognition

With its practical focus on responsible service and high-quality products, JAC is becoming an increasingly recognized brand in Africa, with international companies 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. The trucks' performance, drivability and quality as well as the company's after-sales services cemented Coca Cola as a loyal client.

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

Excellent service is also an important element of JAC's success in Africa. JAC's service is strongly supported by its expansive network of dealerships, after-sales service facilities and spare parts distribution centers. Furthermore, in its major markets like Algeria, Egypt and Angola, JAC holds an annual service month campaign, providing customers with free vehicle checkups. The company also visits users regularly to offer maintenance services.

In Angola, for instance, some users once complained about a loss of power in their heavy-duty trucks. The JAC service team inspected the vehicles and discussed the problem all night long until it was completely solved and the customers felt satisfied.

Localization vital in drive to go global

JAC has strengthened localization in recent years to offer more high-quality products adapted to market needs.

Now, JAC has three assembly plants in Africa, including Ethiopia, Morocco and Egypt, producing A-class cars, SRVs and light to heavy-duty trucks, as well as other commercial vehicles. It also plans to build new plants in South Africa and Kenya.

To better meet the demands of African customers, JAC has carefully studied concrete road conditions and users' habits to continuously adapt the vehicles for improvement. For instance, vehicles used for long distance transportation are equipped with larger fuel tanks; in the plateau areas of Kenya, larger-displacement engines and larger-capacity cooling fans are standard, and so on.

"During the past 11 years, JAC has achieved great progress in Africa with the support of local customers," said a JAC senior executive. "We will continue our efforts to improve product quality and services to better serve the African people. We eagerly seek cooperation with more partners there, and we hope to make further contributions to the growth of the local economy and the automotive industry."

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