Francis Kokutse | 21 Oct, 2013
India's motorbike manufacturer Bajaj Auto has been ranked sixth out of the ten top motorbike sellers in Africa, the company has said.
The company sold more than 600,000 units across Africa last year, creating a lot of appeal with its brand "Boxer", a statement here by the company has said.
Bajaj Auto also exported 1.5 million vehicles last year, including two- and three-wheelers and has been ranked the third largest motorbike manufacturer in India. It produced 3.83 million motorbikes during 2012-13 and over 515,000 three-wheelers.
Currently, Bajaj's Boxer brand "commands a market share of 90 percent in Uganda, 40 percent in Nigeria, 35 percent in Angola and 30 percent in Kenya", the statement said adding that “one of the main success factors, apart from the quality of the motorbike has been the company’s ability to cater to the service and spare parts requirements of its customers in these countries”.
Bajaj Auto also announced it has teamed up with SOMOCO, a locally-owned Indian company in Ghana and a subsidiary of the Mohinani conglomerate, to distribute its products in its 51st global market.
"Ghana's motor-bike market is estimated to be about 100,000 units per annum," Bajaj Auto said adding that "demand has grown rapidly in the last few years thanks to a growing middle class. The company aims to be the market leader in three to five years time".
Bajaj Auto said the company would initially target the utility and commuter segment through its immensely successful motorbike brand which comes in two variants - the 100cc version and the powerful 150cc version.
"The company is confident that the brand will appeal to the customers through its three primary qualities of reliability, ruggedness and timely service," it added.
The Mohinani conglomerate is a leading second-generation family business group of Indian descent and employs over 3,000 people in multi-sector operations across various industries ranging from manufacturing, packaging and plastics as well as trade and distribution of chemicals, polymers and consumer durables.
