Africa economy
Africa: birth of an automotive industry with Mobius [3/3]
Audio 02:19
Kenyan Mobius produced in Nairobi.
© Mobius
By: Olivier Rogez Follow
3 mins
African car manufacturers are still few in number to develop local brands and products.
Their names are Mobius, Kiira Motors, Jengu or even Wallyscar… The series are limited and the productions often embryonic, but those who embark on automobile construction are convinced of this: Africa will follow the same path as China and will have eventually major manufacturers.
Focus on the Kenyan manufacturer Mobius Motors.
Advertisement
When Joel Jackson created Mobius Motors in Nairobi in 2010, he started from a simple observation: most of the cars were second-hand vehicles imported from abroad, unsuitable for Kenyan roads and whose price was high because of the taxes.
His idea is to develop a small SUV with as much local know-how as possible.
Very quickly, the first generation Mobius left the production lines.
Nicolas Guibert is the CEO of Mobius Motors: “
The company manufactured fifty copies of this car seven years ago.
She put them on the market, it's a vehicle that is extremely simple.
It's the 2CV of the SUV
!
»
Use local suppliers
But the Mobius 1 is expensive to manufacture and the leaders embark on the design of a second generation Mobius.
An SUV whose production is just beginning and for which the company hopes to sell 1,000 copies per year from 2024. The Mobius 2 is an example in terms of local content, according to Nicolas Guibert.
“
We are at 30
% local integration, we plan to go up to 50
% by integrating the interior panels, the exterior panels and the chassis.
Which is possible, because the design is simple enough that you can find, or even develop, local suppliers who can do it.
For example, for the chassis, it will be necessary to develop a supplier, because the suspension arms are of a totally different design from that found with a traditional manufacturer.
»
Ensure the development of the Mobius 2
A champion of “local manufacturing”, Mobius is also an assembler.
The Mobius 3, a high-end SUV launched last year, is a product designed by a Chinese company and simply assembled in Kenya.
But this paradox is only apparent or at least is only a strategic step, as Nicolas Guibert explains.
“
What is important about the Mobius 3
– and you need to understand why we made this car… One is to expand our range and accelerate the development of the brand, but (two) it is also because it's a way for us to accelerate our access to profits, and it's this profit that will enable us to ensure the long-term development of the Mobius 2 and our project.
So, you also have to know how to make this kind of compromise to get to the final result.
»
For the leaders of Mobius, it will be possible to bring out local suppliers on two conditions: offer them large production volumes, and above all ask them for parts that cannot be found elsewhere.
Thus, the adaptation of chassis or shock absorbers to Kenyan roads allows Mobius and its equipment manufacturers to innovate and therefore increase their chances of surviving within a still very fragile African industry.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
Economy Africa
Kenya
Automotive
Industry