The latest trend in the auto industry is to highlight the developing car markets of the world rather than investing all the potential and focus on the developed and big auto markets. We have been getting a lot of news from the leading global auto manufacturers, who have revealed that they want to focus and expand in growing markets of the developing countries. By the growing markets of the developing countries, it primarily means the auto markets of the Asian or the African countries. According to the industry experts, these auto markets hold immense potential in the coming few years time and it is a golden opportunity for the auto companies to expand now rather than later, as it will be very easy for them to reap the benefits when the markets actually boost.

Following this trend of focusing on the car markets of the developing countries, Toyota Motor Corp. has also decided to give more focus on African car consumers as the private sector’s growth has reduced the company’s dependence on the government business. This latest decision has been revealed by a top executive of the African wing of the company on 8th of this month.

Toyota Motor already has a massive presence in the continent of Africa. The Japanese auto major has its presence in a total of 54 African countries, after the inclusion of South Sudan in this long list last year. The auto manufacturer is hopeful of a growth of up to 5 percent in the auto markets of the East and West African countries within this year.
The confidence of the company was revealed by the CEO of Toyota Africa, Johan van Zyl as he said that at present, consumer marketing is becoming very important in many countries. He added by saying that Toyota had previously carried business in many African countries almost exclusively with the governments.

Toyota Motor is the global top-selling car manufacturing company and it recorded the sale of 237,000 units of its models in the African continent in the year 2012. This sales figure ensured a 14 percent market share for the Japanese auto major.

However, the company gets tough competition from Chinese and Indian rivals companies like Chery Automobile and Tata Motors, who claim to have more experience in producing low cost cars.

Toyota seems to be also focusing on the fast growing auto market of India, as van Zyl said that the company is also focused on affordable cars and its Etios brand that was launched in India in 2010.

Toyota Etios is a low cost car, which is currently selling about 2,000 units per month in Africa, where the consumers are similar to India as they are more concerned about the quality and durability apart from value for money vehicles.

Zyl added by saying that if anyone thinks that you can sell inferior cars to the African consumers then they are they are making a big mistake, as the African consumers are more quality conscious.

Tagged: Toyota South Africa