ADVERTISEMENT

French auto giant to assemble Peugeot and Opel brands in Africa

French car giant PSA announced Monday it would start assembling Peugeot and Opel brands in Namibia in the second half of 2018.

Under an investment agreement with the Namibian government, PSA -- whose brands also include Citroen, DS and Vauxhall -- will reach output capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year at the plant in the port town of Walvis Bay by 2020, it said in a statement.

ADVERTISEMENT

The initial models will be two 4x4s, the Opel Grandland X and Peugeot 3008, but "other products will follow to meet customer demand," PSA said in a statement.

The deal, in which Peugeot will form a joint enterprise with the state-owned Namibia Development Corporation, aims at the expanding market in the Southern African Customs Union, which comprises Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

The investment is part of the "long-term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles in 2025," said the executive vice president for those regions, Jean-Christophe Quemard.

ADVERTISEMENT

Other investments, existing or planned, are in Algeria, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria.

In 2017, the group sold 592,000 vehicles in Africa and the Middle East, a surge of 54.5 percent, as sales in Asia plummeted.

Global sales were 3.632 million, a figure that includes figures for the newly-acquired Opel and Vauxhaull brands, from August 1.

FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Recommended articles

Trends in online casino gaming in New Zealand

Trends in online casino gaming in New Zealand

10 African countries with the highest number of migrants

10 African countries with the highest number of migrants

PHOTOS: Inside the hostel in Rwanda set to house migrants from the UK in July

PHOTOS: Inside the hostel in Rwanda set to house migrants from the UK in July

10 African countries with the weakest governments

10 African countries with the weakest governments

Zap unveils Africa's first non-custodial exchange

Zap unveils Africa's first non-custodial exchange

The future of healthcare on display: Day 1 of Medlab West Africa wraps up

The future of healthcare on display: Day 1 of Medlab West Africa wraps up

Nigeria suspends a Chinese business over discrimination charges

Nigeria suspends a Chinese business over discrimination charges

10 African countries with the greatest soft power influence over the world in 2024

10 African countries with the greatest soft power influence over the world in 2024

List of the smartest African Cities in 2024

List of the smartest African Cities in 2024

ADVERTISEMENT