From iOL

Ford has aggressive plans to expand its business in Africa and will be launching 25 new vehicles into the Middle East and Africa region by 2016, with 17 of these models launched into sub-Saharan Africa.

Jim Benintende, the president of Ford Middle East and Africa (MEA), said yesterday Ford had launched earlier this year its fifth business unit, MEA, comprising 67 markets that represented “the final frontier for growth within the global automotive industry”.

“The MEA automotive region is expected to grow by 40 percent to 5.5 million vehicles by 2020. By creating sub-regions within Fords MEA’s business unit – South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the Middle East and North Africa – Ford is strengthening its presence in this dynamic region, which is recognised as one of the fastest growing regions in the world,” he said in Sandton at the first Ford Go Further event in Africa.

Benintende said Ford recognised the massive growth potential of the African continent and the opportunities it presented and by the end of next year would have refreshed more than 50 percent of its product line-up in South Africa and 20 percent of its line-up in sub-Saharan Africa.

He said Ford was also supporting its dealer network throughout the region to better serve customer needs, which included expanding its parts and service capability throughout the Middle East and Africa to ensure the shortest possible delivery times.

Jeff Nemeth, the president and chief executive of the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, said South Africa remained Ford’s engine of growth for the continent going forward and its vision was to become the first choice for mobility in Africa.

Read more at iOL