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- First company to introduce a five-year best-in-class standard warranty on its entire commercial vehicle range in Africa
Len Brand, CEO, Tata International Africa
The year 2022 marked a milestone in the journey of Tata International as the company reached 60 years since its inception and 45 years on African soil. Tata International Africa (TIA) has become a force to be reconned with in southern Africa and other African markets with its solid track record offering its own products in the Medium, Heavy and Extra Heavy Commercial Vehicle market, Daewoo trucks and the full range of John Deere construction and agricultural equipment.
In 2016, CEO Len Brand was appointed to lead and transform the business. The ‘Uptime’ strategy has been a critical factor in the company’s success, and it is this clear understanding which has helped shape its growth and success, especially over the past six years.
Together with his team, Brand devised and implemented the Uptime strategy to ensure that everyone in the business upheld the promise to keep their customers’ wheels turning at all times. “About 45% of Africa’s truck potential lies in South Africa,” Brand says. “It’s a vitally important market in which reliability, speed and efficiency are crucial to success. Machinery must be seen to work and to keep on working – that’s the essence of profitability.”
According to Brand, TIA aims to double its turnover in the next three years. “Not only do we offer our customers good value for money and quality products, but we also place a high premium on our customers and their needs. Our Uptime strategy ensures that the customer always comes first and that they can rest assured that we are there for the long haul,” Brand says.
Five years ago, there were clear and imperative components for the business’s growth. The final dream was to become Africa’s most sought-after distributor for commercial vehicles. Tata International Africa has been building towards this aim and has made its mark.
“The transportation industry is the backbone of the economy and the barometer of a country’s economic health. Our customer-first philosophy offers a compelling ownership experience with performance, reliability, and a competitive total cost of ownership. We envelop our customers in our Uptime strategy to enable the organisation to take fact-based and proactive actions targeting the key improvement areas of our business,” Brand explains.
Tata’s technicians were put through their paces and are expertly trained and fully equipped to diagnose and fix any problems which may arise. New products were also added by working with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) partners to ensure that TIA can provide the required products and niche products to its customers. “Above all, we endeavour to provide excellent after-sales service to our customers. Be it in terms of having the correct parts available, plus providing a resource such as sending our technicians to offer roadside assistance or any other after-sales service. Whichever is the case, we will assist our customers in ensuring that their vehicles remain on the road, and they can rest assured that we will be there for them,” Brand explains.
Ongoing improvements to dealer, parts and service networks – intending to maximise vehicle Uptime – have contributed to Tata Commercial Vehicles receiving two prestigious awards. These were Most Improved and a Bronze Award overall, at the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) Dealer Satisfaction Index Awards (DSI), in August of 2022.
“Our people create all intangible assets. Our employees’ knowledge and productivity are at the core of our success as we have reached our 60-year milestone internationally and 45 years on African soil”. Brand elaborates: “Our team is essential to our profits and shareholder value as we strive to be the most sought-after distributor in Africa for commercial vehicles, supplying the correct solutions and the right vehicles needed in the market”.
“The introduction of a captive retail finance solution has afforded some leeway in the way credit is provided,” says Brand, “In 2021, we applied our successes across the continent to bring a unique solution to the South African market. AFCL is the exclusive and preferred credit provider to TIA, offering a wide range of finance solutions, including leases to acquire a wide range of vehicle types. As an independent captive funding house, AFCL’s focus is on financing Tata and Daewoo trucks and buses to put these within reach of our customers”.
TIA also became the first company to introduce a five-year best-in-class standard warranty on its entire Medium, Heavy and Extra Heavy Commercial Vehicle range in 2021. Brand said that introducing a five-year driveline warranty on the commercial vehicle range reinforces the company’s commitment to enhancing the customer ownership experience and makes it easier for customers to own vehicles, especially SMEs.
The company has worked very hard on their network, expanding its footprint dramatically, especially in South Africa, where there are currently more than 90 touchpoints. “We want our customers to trust us and know that we stand for reliability and Uptime. If a vehicle goes down, we can get a technician out and promise to get it back on the road as quickly as possible. We are looking to become the country’s third biggest player in truck sales – and I don’t see why we shouldn’t succeed.
“As we celebrate this milestone of operating in Africa for 45 years, we are also expanding our footprint on the continent and plan to operate in up to 28 African countries eventually,” Brand concludes.
Tata International Africa
The Tata Group began its relationship with the African continent in 1977 with the establishment of Tata Zambia. In 1994, the Tata Group inaugurated Tata Africa Holdings in Johannesburg, South Africa, which now serves as the group’s headquarters in the continent. Tata International Africa is present in 12 African countries namely South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mozambique Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It operates in automotive, agricultural equipment, farming and farm equipment, chemicals, and healthcare products.
Today, Tata is a brand that’s synonymous with quality products and ethical business operations in Africa. It is committed to its vision of building and sustaining relationships in Africa with cooperation and trust, creating employment opportunities and making its contribution to the social development of local communities. Tata companies in Africa promote the social and economic development of local communities through education, entrepreneurship and health initiatives.
