ROSSLYN, South Africa – 2018 has been a fantastic year for Nissan in Africa. After recording a leading 32.8% market share in Ghana, Nissan signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ghanaian government to study how to unlock the full potential of the country's automotive sector.
"Nissan is the most popular auto brand in Ghana because the quality of our products and services has won the trust of our customers," said Jim Dando, Nissan Group of Africa head of sales and operations.
"We want to build on our leadership by supporting the government to create the environment for a successful automotive manufacturing industry in the country. Building vehicles in Ghana will enable us to further improve the products and services we offer to our customers here and will have significant, long-term benefits for the economy in terms of jobs and growth."
Nissan was the first mover in Nigeria too, when it set up an assembly plant in 2013.
The signing of the MoU was followed by the announcement of three regional hubs; West Africa, East Africa and Central Africa, with their own regional general managers.
"We are committed to Africa," said Dando, "and this commitment is underpinned by the deep realisation that you cannot have one solution for an entire continent of 54 different countries, but rather need to get as close as possible to your customers and your distributors.
"Positioning our offices in Accra, Ghana, and Nairobi, Kenya, for West and East Africa underpins exactly that philosophy, bolstered by the appointment of senior, autonomous, managers to run these operations blending the best of local with Nissan's global benchmark intelligent mobility solutions.
"Customers are at the heart of our business. We need to serve their needs, not impose products upon them."
Part of this includes the
Dando said Nissan customers throughout Africa would have much to look forward to in 2019, especially the launch of the new Navara,
"One of the biggest challenges in Africa is the spectre of grey imports of vehicles which aren't made for our conditions – disappointing the driver both in terms of performance and the expected lifespan of the vehicle. We pride ourselves on guaranteeing both: driver and owner satisfaction."
Part of this initiative includes the further
"We have been very grateful for the positive customer feedback we have received," Dando said, "and we intend building on this throughout
Nissan Intelligent Choice, the company's
Nissan already offers industry-leading warranties and service plans for its vehicles with Nissan Assured, and Nissan Intelligent Choice will build on the success of the company's customer-centric offerings.
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About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In
For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
About Nissan in South Africa
Nissan South Africa is the operational hub for Regional Business Unit South, serving Nissan's key South Africa market and 45 other countries in Sub Saharan Africa, including Angola, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria as well as the key Southern African markets of Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. In South Africa, the company offers a range of 24 vehicles under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands, including the popular locally-produced Nissan light commercial vehicles - the NP200
Media contact:
Nthabiseng Motsepe
Mobile: +27 83 654 8763
Email: nthabisengm@nissan.co.za
