Rwandan car dealer Akagera Motors has scored a major deal with the German automobile company Mercedes-Benz, which will see the former be the exclusive distributor of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and after sale services in Rwanda.
Akagera Motors, which has also exclusively distributed vehicles for major automobile brands like Toyota (Japan), HINO (Japan), Mahindra & Mahindra (India) and Ashok Leyland (India) — joins a list of other dealers located in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
According to The NewTimes, a government-owned publication, Akagera Motors has already imported some of the latest models like Mercedes-Benz ACTROS, a commercial truck praised for its efficient fuel consumption, safety, and reliability features.
Other models which have been brought into Rwanda include E 200, GLE 400 4MATIC and the GLS 500 4MATIC.
Torsten Bauerheim, the Head of Sales and Customer Service, Mercedes Benz for the African and Asia at Daimler, says that they found it crucial to partner with a Rwandan car dealer after seeing the latest developments in the automotive sector in the country.
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Another German automaker Volkswagen recently signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Rwandan government to assemble cars in the country.
The company has since come up with other business projects like car-sharing and ride-hailing to recoup its investment.
Ravi Gorajia, the Vice President and Technical Director at Akagera Motors told The NewTimes that the new development will fulfil the observed rise in demand for quality and reliable automobiles.
According to Gorajia, they will also introduce differently friendly packages, including credit purchases to enable people and firms to buy cars.
“We work with banks. We negotiate terms of the lease with banks depending on clients’ preferences. One can go through us or directly to the banks depending on their preference,” he said, according to The NewTimes, adding:
“For Rwanda, the automobile market is pretty much getting to the point of peak. What we are focusing on is after sale services. It’s beyond the price of the vehicle, it’s about giving a full package which will give them return on their investments to get an edge.”
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