‘Not if, but when’ – Volvo Trucks bullish on African growth potential

While it may not be a significant contributor to global sales volumes today, the African truck and bus market may prove to be a solid investment for Volvo Trucks in coming years as its emerging economies strengthen, and increased consumer spending power drives freight growth.

The OEM currently operates two completely knocked-down (CKD) assembly plants on the African continent: one in Johannesburg, South Africa and another in Casablanca, Morocco. Two sales hubs are strategically located in Johannesburg and Gothenburg, the latter of which serves the Middle East, East and North West Africa regions. The Casablanca plant has an annual production capacity of 380 vehicles, whereas Johannesburg can produce 1800 vehicles a year.

In 2017, Volvo Trucks delivered 1,040 vehicles in North West Africa, the majority of which were sourced from plants in Gothenburg and Ghent. By comparison, more than 112,000 Volvo trucks were delivered globally last year, but Heléne Mellquist, who has served as Senior Vice President of Volvo Trucks International since March 2016, believes volumes in Africa could soon ramp up.