Zhejiang — Geey Holding Group, a top car brand in China, said it looking into possibility of extending its business to Tanzania but has yet to get an appropriate dealer.
Geely, based in Zhejiang Province owns Swedish Volvo Cars 100 per cent, has already established a dealership business in Nairobi, Kenya and currently sold about 1000 cars last year.
Geely's Public Relations Department--Global Public Relations, Ash Sutcliffe, said in general Africa is "the best market" that the company eyes keenly to introduce its ranges of sedans.
The local dealer will also stock spares and facilitate after sales services, which according to the spokesperson, is a crucial component in car business and marketing.
"Geely is looking for local reliable partner (in Tanzania)," Mr Sutcliffe said, "If sells grow we assemble locally." The assembling is either complete knocked down (CKD) or semi knocked down (SKD) to cut down costs for shipment or levies impose on importing a solid car.
"Going by our Chairman (and founder) spirit that 'everyone has the right to own a brand new car...and since a car is four wheels and a sofa', the price of cars are lowered," Mr Sutcliffe told journalists from China Africa Press Centre during the company visit.
Geely is a total private company that in listed at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and by the end of 2013 Geely vehicles on road were three million units. Geely's two Panda models--Panda and Cross Panda--are sold slightly over 6000 US dollars (around 10m/-).
The models are of size of Toyota Vitz and have all standard features a modern car has. "We have taken into consideration the state of Africa roads and rise and stiffen the suspension for Africa models," Mr Sutcliffe said.
Geely has four production lines in China and eight CKD and SKD assembling lines outside China in Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, and South America. Answering on how to conquer Africa market in midst of second hand cars, the Global Relations officer said they have experienced similar situation in Europe where some people also goes for used cars.
In China also they have experienced the same where people used to fall for Japanese models and win the market. "When we introduce Panda people were afraid of driving small cars saying they're not stable, today the Panda has change that mindset," Mr Sutcliffe confidently said.
Geely Holding was founded in 1986 as motorcycle manufacturer and enter automobile industry in 1997. Today it owns Geely Automobile Holding, Volvo Cars and The London Taxi Company.
Geely is now a Fortune 500 company for the second year running and has been ranked the Top 500 Enterprises if China for 11 consecutive years and China's Top 10 automobile company for the last nine years.
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