Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), announced the official start of sales in Tanzania under a new partnership with general distributor Capstone Corporation Ltd., part of the CFAO group. A commemorative event was held in the city of Dar es Salaam.
CFAO is an established player in the African automotive industry, with its business spanning from importing, assembling, selling, and leasing vehicles to support various mobility needs. Currently, it oversees the largest distributor network across the continent. FUSO sales in Tanzania will first begin out of two retail locations, with one in Dar es Salaam and the other in Arusha, an inland city with a strong manufacturing economy. CFAO also has proven customer service expertise and experience with FUSO products through its distribution business in Kenya, Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana, Madagascar and Mauritius among other markets.
Under the new partnership, a wider variety of FUSO vehicles, ranging from the 4.4 ton GVW light-duty “Canter” models to the 49 ton GCW “TV” heavy-duty trucks, will be made available to customers in Tanzania. All trucks will be exported to Tanzania as BU (built-up) vehicles from the Oragadam plant operated by Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) and from the MFTBC Kawasaki Plant in Japan. With this expanded range of products, MFTBC and Capstone aim to serve businesses in the agriculture, energy distribution, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors. Agriculture and food processing are particularly significant contributors to the local economy; at the kick-off event, the first truck to be handed over to a Tanzanian customer under Capstone was presented to major sugar producer Bakhresa Group.
The economy of Tanzania has developed steadily over the past 20 years, and is projected to rebound after the slowdown of the coronavirus pandemic. Infrastructure spending is also expected to support the demand for further mobility solutions. Through this new business alliance with Capstone, MFTBC willl aim to expand the FUSO brand’s presence in the growing economy.