The Volvo Group Southern Africa, in partnership with Titanium Motors opened the new dealership in the capital of Lusaka, which offers complete sales, parts and service for Volvo Trucks and UD Trucks customers operating in the region.
Titanium invested US$10 million in the new dealership and said it expanded into Zambia as the country was important, serving as a “regional transport hub”.
“Zambia is a key African market for Volvo, as apart from its very central location in southern Africa, it also has exciting potential as a developing market with a growing economy and emerging infrastructure,” said Torbjörn Christensson, President of Volvo in South Africa.
Mr. Christensson said transport, especially trucks, were essential to the region’s growth, and to drive development and progress.
For this reason, Volvo also established a representative office in Lusaka to harness this potential and take global support right to the doorsteps of customers.
“The 7 500m² dealership boasts a one of a kind showroom, as well as a training facility to further develop the skills of staff and local fleet owners,” Volvo said in a statement. “It also has six work bays, trained and accredited technicians, mobile service units, parts warehouse, as well as dedicated sales teams for each of the brands.”
“Our team is passionate about customer service and providing a level of support that adheres to our customers’ exacting requirements,” said Farook Bharuchi, CEO of Titanium Motors.
“We are committed to continue investing in the training and development of our staff to the ultimate benefit of our customers.”
Bharuchi explained that the team was also committed to ensuring that fleet operators’ vehicles stay productive and on the road by providing quick service and first-class technical solutions.
Volvo Trucks President, Claes Nilsson, said: “Safety is the cornerstone of everything we do, it is inherent in our vehicles, in the genuine parts that have been manufactured according to uncompromising standards, in our skilled and extensively trained workforce, as well in the innovative technology implemented to enhance Volvo truck operators’ productivity and efficiency.
“Our ability to deliver quality sales and aftermarket support in Zambia, combined with our award-winning Volvo Trucks product range, prove that we are serious about providing local fleet owners with total transport solutions that contribute to their business’s profitability,” he added.
Managing director of UD Trucks Southern Africa, Gert Swanepoel, said the company is constantly looking to develop and strengthen its footprint across the region.
“This partnership with Titanium Motors reinforces our commitment to not only provide world-class and sustainable support to our customers in Zambia, but also to fleet owners who run cross-border operations along the trade corridors of the Southern African region,” he said.
“Underpinning this commitment is our expanding product and service offerings, which are founded on our heritage of quality, engineering and progressive technology to complement our customers’ unique business requirements,” he added. “We are excited about the future of UD Trucks within Zambia, and the rest of the region.”
Useless!
Ku Bantu takwaba cisuma…
I THOUGHT WE WERE ENCOURAGING MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY TO FILL THOSE MFEZs AND NOT REALLY COMMERCIAL. THERE’S ALREADY TOO MUCH COMMERCE IN ZAMBIA. WE NEED MANUFACTURING OF GOODS. AT LEAST ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE MADE A BIT OF SENSE.
@2 Peter, IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH YOU! We should be telling these people who want us to be buying their vehicles all the time to start manufacturing some components here! If we are centrally located (transport hub), with emerging infrastructure and growing economy, WHY THEN CAN’T WE START CLAIMING SOME ADVANTAGES THAT COME WITH ALL THOSE ATTRIBUTES? WHY CAN’T SOME COMPONENTS BE PRODUCED FROM ZAMBIA AND THEN DISTRIBUTED TO OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION?
Useless. Manufacturing or assembly would have been better. But then we have a visionless president
Those are highly marketed jobs in Sweden and Europe…you have to smartened up; you think a large factory can survive with constant tarriff hikes of 70%.
This is indeed a welcome move for our transporters .Buying sapre parts in RSA has always been a serious challenge to us ……Thanks a millions and its time we expanded our businesses and improve our service deliveries .
Toyota head quarters is sleeping…they have let the brand name be trashed by those thrieving cowboys of a dealership on Cairo Rd…
not so new, i thought volvo had a branch along luanshya road where parts and volvo vehicles where being attend to.under the franchise of sabot.
May be things have since changed since i left Zambia along tym now.
This is an offical dealership with the backing headquarters not those outlets set up by a middleman like at Toyota Zambia!!
I think Hazaluza Hagain! What do you think Namwala bloggers?
Mr Torbjörn Christenssen, is helping Zambia to achieve a status of a Central Regional Hub, which was one of our millennial targets. Though it’s desirable to have a manufacturing industry, we currently have a poor supply of competent car engineers to fill those roles. If we encourage Training for Skills to improve our citizens we can be ready for the manufacturing base.
The emphasis is on being a Transport Hub. A reintroduction of a national Airline will also improve that status. Although we have had failed Zambia Airways in the past maybe time for new. As well as encouraging other national Airlines to return to our Airspace after renewal of Airports infrastructure and improved potential for business for those Airlines as a central connection point on the continent.
With a population of only 15 million, does Zambia have the size and scale to expect a truck manufacturer ?
You need a few 100,000 trucks to be sold annually to justify opening a factory. There are so many components etc that need to be made, so we need a certain market size to make it feasible.
Most of our Volvo are kudala madalas from the UK. Thats what this market can afford, very few brand new trucks.
So Volvo and VW opens assembly plants in Kenya and South Africa but only a dealership in Zambia? Thats an insult to even call Zambia a transport hub.
So Volvo and VW opens assembly plants in Kenya and South Africa but only a dealership in Zambia? Thats an insult to even call Zambia a transport hub.
@Mzambia wa Zamani:- We need to look at the conditions that made Kenya / South Africa to have these manufacturing Plants and work on hour conditions to be more attractive. Today it is about competition we as Africans are competing for investmentors on our Land so let the best win.