Tata International Africa partners with JCB in Vietnam as part of growth plan

Many have tried, many have failed. Doing business in Africa requires a shift from a typical mindset, and while the word ‘risk’ is taboo among the world’s most prominent money lenders, there are ways to strategically mitigate uncertainties when it comes to credit in African markets. Based on Tata International Africa’s successful retail finance solution in African countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia, the group has now made its unique retail finance offering available in South Africa. “The financing of heavy commercial vehicles, construction equipment and agricultural machinery presents its own unique set of challenges in Africa. The introduction of a captive retail finance solution has afforded some leeway in the way credit is provided,” says Len Brand, CEO and Managing Director of Tata International Africa. “We have now applied our successes across the continent to offer a unique solution in the South African market. AFCL was established to provide short to medium repayment terms for customers acquiring assets from Tata distributors and dealers. With its understanding of customers’ needs, AFCL offers convenient and flexible solutions and finance products, specifically designed to address the challenges of securing finance, with the added benefit of a quick response time. “Our new finance offering is based on the fact that traditional lending models don’t always support good opportunities for growth in African markets. We now have a solution that comprises products with the ability to finance them, making this a compelling proposition for businesses in Africa,” adds Brand. AFCL is the exclusive and preferred credit provider to Tata International Africa, offering a wide range of finance solutions including leases to acquire a wide range of vehicle types. As an independent captive funding house, AFCL’s focus is on financing Tata and Daewoo trucks and buses. The company prides itself on setting an industry standard by providing a fast and simple application process with flexible payment terms for its customers. AFCL aligns its financing solution with the customer’s needs by offering affordable repayment terms that fit the cash flow cycle of that customer. “It is not a one size fits all approach,” says Brand. “We are obsessed with serving our customers and helping to solve problems,” says Brand. “Our policy of deep customer understanding and delivering customer value defines the way we do business. Our resourceful team is willing to go the extra mile to deliver proficient services. Because access to credit is restricted, we support customers in overcoming this obstacle by providing easy application and credit processes with novel, flexible repayment structures.” Great companies are built on integrity and trust, says Brand. “We are innovative thinkers, delivering dynamic and dependable repayment solutions, together with accountability and reliability.”

Two and half years ago, Tata International signed an agreement with Afgri Ghana to buy the distribution rights for John Deere agricultural equipment. The success and growth in selling and supporting the full line of John Deere products in Ghana as well as other African countries has resulted in a new strategic decision to invest in Zambia. Tata Zambia has acquired the full distribution rights of John Deere products from Afgri Equipment in that country and will be operational as of 01 June 2021. “We are very proud to have been given this opportunity and thank Afgri Equipment for this. We are also grateful to John Deere for showing confidence in us to represent the brand in another country on the continent,” says Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa. “Our initial focus will be on parts availability and swift delivery of parts to customers, as well as products fit for purpose. Our deep customer understanding and focus on delivering customer value defines the way we do business, and our resourceful team is willing to go the extra mile to deliver proficient services,” he adds. Tata’s commitment to the John Deere brand and its customers in Africa was recently recognised by John Deere Africa Middle East when Tata’s Ghana operation was awarded John Deere Africa’s prestigious 2020 Dealer of the Year Award for the category of dealers outside the SADC region. “In addition to this award, which means a great deal to us, we have made successful inroads in winning market share as a new player in the industry, which is extremely encouraging. Our commitment to customer support through our Uptime strategy has benefited John Deere owners in Ghana and other countries in which we operate and we are looking forward to replicating this in Zambia,” adds Brand. “Tata Africa has proven time and again that it is a leading company to be aligned to, not only as a distributor or dealer for OEMs, but also as a premium supplier and dedicated aftermarket support and service to our retail customers in Africa. We are committed to the company’s vision of building and sustaining relationships with cooperation and trust,” concludes Brand. Tata has operated successfully on the African continent for more than 40 years, having commenced operations in Zambia in 1977 when Tata Zambia was created, a business mainly involved in the import of Tata vehicles into the country, along with marketing and after-sales services. Tata International Africa in Zambia now sells, supports and distributes Tata trucks and buses, Daewoo Trucks, Jaguar Land Rover vehicles and now proudly adds John Deere Agriculture Equipment to its offering. John Deere construction equipment will be introduced in Zambia in the third quarter of 2021.

Tata Côte d’Ivoire is pleased to announce the opening of its new premises, strategically located in Zone 4, in Marcory. The new space provides increased capacity for a showroom, sales and administrative services and offices for staff across the Tata Côte d’Ivoire entity. The new showroom enables Tata to showcase its products to potential and existing clients, in a new and fresh environment. “We’re delighted to be able to move into a new building with ample space,” says Vivek Saraswat, General Manager of Tata Cote d’Ivoire. “The move represents our continued commitment to serving our clients in a fresh, new and expanded area. Our new premises and improved operational efficiencies will go a long way in helping us continue to grow, allowing us to provide excellent service to our customers along the way.” One of the major reasons for the move to new premises is that the building is strategically located close to Star Auto and Ivoire Motor, two main partners of Tata Africa Cote D’Ivoire. The company outsourced its after-sales service and sale of spare parts for vehicles for the Tata and Daewoo brands to Star Auto, as part of a partnership recently signed between the two companies. His Excellency, the Ambassador of India to Cote D’Ivoire, and Mr. Sailas Thangal, as well as the Managing Director of SOTRA Mr. Meite Bouake, officially opened the new office and showroom of Tata Africa Côte d’Ivoire. The event was attended by other dignitaries, including the Managing Director of Star Auto Mr. Koulibaly Nouhoun, Mr. Sébastien Baise, Managing Director of Ivoire Motor, and several other VIPs. Ambassador Thangal paid tribute to Tata, emphasising the excellent contribution of the Tata Group to society and its philosophy of giving back to the people. Tata has made several hospitals, research institutes and many other uplifting contributions to society. “I wish Tata every success in the new premises. I am confident that they will be able to connect with their customers and suppliers in a more efficient manner due to its strategic location,” said His Excellency, Mr. Thangal. Tata began its operations in Côte d’Ivoire in April 2012, and since then, has increased its market share of Tata trucks and buses as well as Daewoo Trucks in the country. In 2017, Tata supplied 500 buses and 62 support vehicles to the public transport operator SOTRA, a major event in the history of the company’s presence in the market. Tata Cote d’Ivoire’s footprint in the country extends to Yamoussoukro and San-Pedro, with essential after-sales support for its customers. Keeping vehicles on the road is key to any transport operation’s business. This is part of the Uptime strategy implemented by Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa four years ago when he commenced with his turnaround strategy.

In a South African automotive aftermarket industry first, Tata International Africa has announced the launch of its e-commerce parts website and portal. The user-friendly online store will enable customers anywhere in South Africa to order Tata and Daewoo heavy commercial vehicle parts with doorstep delivery, quickly and conveniently – even in the most remote parts of the country. As technology develops and changes it is extremely important for a business to keep abreast of trends and find ways to add value to its customers. The launch of the e-commerce website gives Tata that edge to reach more customers, more efficiently. “We are continuously looking for opportunities to improve our customers’ interaction with our products. Keeping their vehicles on the road is of extreme importance to us,” says Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa. “We are proud to say that we are the first automotive brand in Africa to have developed an online parts store for Heavy Commercial Vehicles, where a customer can place an order and it will be delivered to their doorstep,” adds Brand. Existing and new customers of Tata and Daewoo commercial vehicles will be able to easily search the online product catalogues and place their purchase through a safe, seamless, real-time, web-based experience. The online catalogue is currently set up to provide parts for five different Tata Trucks and two Daewoo commercial vehicles. There is also an option to enquire about parts not listed or currently in stock. The website services customers operating anywhere in South Africa, from big cities to the remotest towns. These customers use their vehicles across multiple sectors where time is money and vehicles are required to be kept on the road timeously. The e-commerce site will improve the customer experience by enabling anyone to go online and order parts with sales not limited to account holders only. Customers will now be able to place an order without having to go into a dealership or a distribution center. A secure Direct Payment Online (DPO) Paygate is integrated into the website for easy and safe online payment to be made using a debit or credit card. A customer care line is available for customers to call and resolve any queries they may have. The website also has an inquiry form that customers can complete online to get feedback from a salesperson if a specific item they need is not listed. The new Tata e-commerce website is accessible on any device with internet access. A mobile app is currently being developed to further improve accessibility and customer satisfaction. Customers can visit www.partskart.co.za for further information. “The launch of our e-commerce site plays an integral part in keeping our UPTIME promise to our customers. We now enable them to keep their trucks on the road by improving the accessibility and delivery of parts to them,” concludes Brand.