By Daniel Chigundu
Nissan’s Daring Africa 2024 Expedition, which aims to showcase the strength of the Navara vehicle, recently crossed into Zimbabwe as part of its eight-country journey across Africa.
The expedition crew, consisting of four Nissan Navaras and an X-Trail support vehicle, plans to travel approximately 7,000 kilometers from South Africa to Cairo, Egypt.
They have already been to Mozambique, where they crossed into Mutare (Zimbabwe). In Mutare, locals joined them for an off-road drive to Mutarazi Falls and surrounding areas before heading to Harare.
During a welcome cocktail for the expedition team in Harare, Nissan Africa Regional General Manager Linda Mazimhaka stated that the Navara has proven capable of handling long and rough terrains.
“The Navara is an exceptional model in the Nissan LCV family. We are showcasing the vehicle’s strength through this expedition, which also links our two manufacturing hubs: Rosslyn in South Africa and Cairo in Egypt.
“The Navara is specifically built for Africa in Africa by Africans, and it has proven itself well-suited for the task by handling long, grueling sections in Mozambique before entering Zimbabwe through the scenic hilly landscape of the Eastern Highlands,” he said.
Nissan has been operating in Zimbabwe for almost 60 years, and there are four accredited Nissan dealers in the country: Clover Leaf, Croco Motors, Amtec, and AMC. This has helped the brand achieve a two-digit market share.
Lucas Taruvinga, spokesperson for Nissan Zimbabwe and CEO of Amtec Motors, expressed delight in hosting the expedition (Nissan Daring Africa 2024) as it passes through the country.
“Our first showroom was opened in 1967, and it is a privilege to welcome the latest heirs to an incredibly proud LCV legacy in our country. The Navara is a new chapter to this story, and I believe this journey is proving to everyone what we have known all along about this special vehicle,” said Taruvinga.
Daring Africa will head to Kariba next before entering Zambia, Malawi, and then Tanzania for the next leg of this epic journey.
Market Share in Zimbabwe
Meanwhile, Linda Mazimhaka revealed that Nissan currently enjoys a market share of between 26% to 30% in Zimbabwe, making it one of their leading markets in the region.
“Zimbabwe is currently one of our leading markets in terms of car sales, and we commend our partners here for that. Today, we have a market share of around 26%. To have a two-digit market share is an achievement, and we truly appreciate it. At times, it can even reach 31%. It is one of the markets where the brand is leading,” he said.
In terms of pricing for the Navara, Admire Ndumo said that it varies locally depending on the preferred specifications. He added that prices range from US$30,500 to US$60,000.
“From a local pricing point of view, as you saw with the expedition (Nissan Daring Africa 2024), there is a Single Cab. Our Single Cab Navara retails from $30,500 for a 4×2. For the Double Cab, it retails from about US$40,000 for the SE spec, which is the mid-spec, and goes up to the Navara Pro-4X vehicle, which retails for US$60,000.
“Just like Linda said, Zimbabwe is one of the markets in the world where Nissan is in pole position in the entire dealer network. We have four dealers, and they are doing a good job of ensuring that Nissan is a dominant player and in pole position,” said Ndumo.
Challenges Faced
Lucas Taruvinga (Amtec chief executive officer) indicated that despite managing to hold their own in the market, there have been challenges that affected the availability of stocks in the country.
He mentioned that the biggest challenge in the local market is the lack of credit facilities from financial institutions, which affects both dealers and customers.
“The challenge we have in Zimbabwe, compared to other markets, is the lack of credit facilities, especially for the end consumer and wholesale. Financial institutions are not capable of advancing credit to dealers for us to bring adequate stocks to the market. Consequently, dealers are unable to provide credit to our customers, the final consumer, due to the lack of bridging finance. This is another challenge in our market, in Zimbabwe,” he said.
In other countries, people can buy cars on credit, while in Zimbabwe, they have to pay upfront, which has forced people to opt for second-hand imports from Japan.
