Home Car literacy 10 cars Made in Africa for Africans – Cars Designed And Manufactured In Africa @ma3route

10 cars Made in Africa for Africans – Cars Designed And Manufactured In Africa @ma3route

Below are ten African automobile manufacturing companies that are developing "made in Africa" vehicles that look the most promising for the African consumer market;

Kiira Motors Corporation, Uganda

Originally developed by students from Uganda’s Makerere University for a project headed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the sedan hybrid electric vehicle called the Kiira EV SMACK was designed for the region, local terrain and consumers’ ability to afford the car. The five-seater sedan is powered by a rechargeable battery and also has an internal combustion engine-based generator which charges the battery. The first commercial vehicle from this line was to rolledout in 2018.

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, Nigeria

The domestic vehicle maker Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company has built on its success of manufacturing buses and trucks to launch a passenger car line comprised of a truck (IVM 1021A) and a Sports Utility Vehicle (IVM 6490A). According to the company website, the automobile company was commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan and founded by Mr. Innocent Chukwuma.

Kantanka Automobile Company, Ghana

The Ghanaian based automobile company founded by Apostle Safo Kantanka, assembles its passenger vehicles (mainly SUVs and pickup trucks) at the company's manufacturing plant located in Gomoa Mpota in the central region of Ghana. The automobile company has reportedly pushed back commercial release of its models pending approval from the Ghana Standards Authority.

Mobius Motors, Kenya

Mobius was founded in 2011 by Joel Jackson to build a vehicle in Africa, for Africa. The first-generation Mobius II was launched in Kenya in 2015. Mobius continues to provide end-to-end customer support and has applied early product feedback into the development of the next-generation Mobius II, launching in 2019.

Birkin, South Africa

| Magari Poa — (Image: Birkin Performance Cars)

Founded in 1980 and based in Durban, Birkin Cars is best known for its quality reproductions of the Lotus 7 Series 3, called the Birkin S3. The company exports locally manufactured Lotus and other limited-edition performance car replicas around the world.

Saroukh el-Jamahiriya, Libya

The legendary “Libyan rocket” was fast, luxurious and safe. Designed especially for former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 1999, the car, wholly built in Libya, was the country’s pride and joy, pitted against the German luxury car market leaders.

Unfortunately, it never went into full-time production, yet it was a prime example of inventive North African design. Designers claimed it to be one of the safest cars ever made, comparable to Volvo and Saab. It had some innovative safety features, including the ability to drive for miles on flat tyres – making it perfect for desert conditions – and a full electronic safety system with airbags. In fact, it was one of the first cars to have airbags for all four seats.

Laraki, Morocco

Laraki, a car manufacturer based in Casablanca, is owned by Moroccan luxury yacht designer Abdeslam Laraki. The company designed and manufactured its own range of luxury performance cars and sport models, including the Borac; the V8, 1 750 horsepower Epitome, the only officially recognised African-made supercar; and the Fulgura, which embodies a Lamborghini in look and spirit.

Larakis are strictly concept cars, custom-built for each customer, and were ranked among the most expensive cars in the world in 2015, priced at over $2- million (about KSH217-million) each.

Advanced Automotive Design, South Africa

Pretoria’s Advanced Automotive Design makes racing-style sports cars and has been in business since 1995. The company is famous in motoring circles for its 2007 Shaka Nynya, named after the Zulu king. It has impressed drivers with its versatility and speed.

Wallyscar, Tunisia

Competing in the lucrative off-road market, the small but powerful Wallyscar, manufactured in La Marsa, Tunisia, is a relatively new company, founded in 2006. The company is building a strong reputation for affordable, reliable and powerful 4X4s, despite the size of its vehicles, which are similar to Suzuki and Skoda.

According to reports from 2014, the company sells over 600 units a year, predominately in Africa and the Middle East, but also as far as Panama and Europe. The company’s plans include making its sporty, colourful, off-road vehicles more environmentally friendly, as well as trying its luck in international off-road motorsport.

Bailey Edwards, South Africa

Started in 2003 by brothers Peter and Greg Bailey, Bailey Edwards is a top replica sports car manufacturer based in South Africa. The group builds and customises classic performance cars such as the Porsche 917 and the Ferrari P4 for clients around the world. It has a factory in New York to service the North American market.