Jaguar Land Rover in Kenya has selected a new distributor Inchcape. The Kenyan car market is very different from what happens in developed countries. As a matter of fact I sometimes feel that people in Africa should be richer than people in Europe and America. Why do I say this? A brand new car in Europe going for 5 million Kenyan shillings will probably reach a Kenyan consumer at a price not less than 8 Million Kenya shillings.
This is inclusive of tax and shipping. As such, I am not surprised when I see people in developed countries driving high-end vehicles. This is because from where they stand, the automobiles are affordable.
Anyway, back to the main topic, developed countries have dealerships that distribute specific brands of both used and new vehicles.
These dealerships offer various services that Kenyan dealerships cannot offer such as warranty, and free service for the first two years. Kenyan dealerships distribute second-hand vehicles since most of the cars that come from abroad are already used cars.
The government has been encouraging automakers to invest in assembly facilities in the country and so far, Peugeot and Volkswagen have already entered the market.
Jaguar Land Rover Distributor
companies like Jaguar land Rover appoint distributors in the region to sell their brands. A while back, Jaguar land rover was represented by CMC and later RMA. RMA had been distributing the cars until Inchcape was tendered to be the distributors in Kenya and East Africa.
Inchcape will take over the RMA Kenya showroom as well as a planned new workshop facility. The company will apparently also retain most of the RMA employees. Sanjiv Shah, the former CEO of RMA Kenya, will now serve as the Inchcape CEO for Kenya & Uganda.
Richard Gouverneur, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa said: “Jaguar Land Rover is greatly looking forward to its new partnership with Inchcape in the Kenyan market. The group brings with it a wealth of automotive experience, not only in the premium segment, but also with the Jaguar and Land Rover brands in particular. Our customers in the region can rest assured knowing the outstanding support they’ve come to expect will continue uninterrupted by the transition.”
“We are delighted to have secured this contract to be brand custodian for Jaguar and Land Rover in the dynamic and exciting market of Kenya. We believe that our success demonstrates the value we bring to Jaguar Land Rover as its trusted partner for the full range of distribution and retail requirements in their end markets. It also creates a very attractive platform for Inchcape to grow further on the continent of Africa. Said Ruslan Kinebas, Emerging Markets CEO at Inchcape.
Adding that, “Our focus now is on exceeding Jaguar Land Rover’s expectations and on creating a fantastic experience for Jaguar and Land Rover customers in Kenya. The successful Kenyan team will continue to be led by Sanjiv Shah Previously CEO of RMA Kenya, appointed CEO Inchcape Kenya & Uganda.”
Inchcape’s experience in the automotive field spans a massive 93 years. The group operates in 31 countries across five continents, and represents the Jaguar and Land Rover brands in 12 markets including Kenya.
Inchcape is a UK multinational that sells cars brands that include: Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Audi and BMW in 31 countries.
Inchcape now represents the Jaguar and Land Rover brands in 12 markets. Kenya is Inchcape’s second market in Africa after Ethiopia where it sells car brands such as Toyota and Hino.
The advantage of having a distributor is that customers can easily address their concerns to them. Customers can also order for spares or new cars through them. This way, they enjoy all the services that Jaguar Land Rover offers its customers such as warranty.
