Time to rejuvenate our motor industry

that I would make a follow-up with a second look at the motor industry after the recent Zimbabwe Motor Show.
I had the opportunity to indulge my passion in all things automotive during the 2012 edition of the Zimbabwe Motor Show and judging from my experience at the show, the local motor industry is really poised for growth.
Naturally, the highlight for me was getting to see Buy Zimbabwe partners, Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries in their full stripes showcasing the BT50 and the re-introduced Mazda 3.
The interest around the exhibition also revealed that WMMI’s vehicles capture the imaginations of the country’s motoring public.
Quest Motor Corporation, which was also showcasing at the show attracted, a lot attention around its locally assembled Chery Tiggo (a small SUV), Cherry QQ (a low end vehicle) and the JMC (a commercial vehicle).
I could not help notice the number of motor enthusiasts who were surprised that such vehicles were being assembled here in Zimbabwe.
Certainly, the recommissioning of Quest Motor Corporation’s Mutare plant has already begun to change the face of the local motor industry.
A little bird tells me that the machinery that had been installed at PG Safety Glass in Mutare is gathering mothballs once again, thanks to a marginal growth in the motor industry.
For Manicaland this means jobs for hundreds of former and prospective employees who were affected when operations were canned.
Now let’s imagine what would happen to families in Manicaland if the economy can restore the over 2 000 jobs that were lost as a result of the country’s economic challenges.
With a current output of 120 units each month, Quest’s Mutare plant employs 150 people and there is a chance for more jobs to be created.
Quest is sitting on a possible production capacity of 35 units each day creating further opportunities for employment directly in the company and downstream within service providers and merchants.
It is encouraging to note that parts of the vehicles assembled at Quest are sourced locally and the car assembly has said that they will introduce local content of up to 30 or 40 percent into the brands they are building.
These include batteries, tyres, glass, upholstery, paints, solvents and sealants.
With all the latent energy that is in the motor industry, key players continue to call for policy that is tailored to suit the growth of the industry.
South Africa’s motor industry was born out of the successful implementation of the Motor Industry Development Plan and I believe that this should also guide us to develop our own.
Such a move will assist our local motor industry to focus on competitiveness so that issues of pricing and specifications do not continue to crop up as a hindrance each time Government issues out a tender to purchase vehicles.
Local cars can be the preferred choice beyond just pride if the country has a policy that addresses some of the challenges being faced by the sector.
Just thinking out loud here, perhaps a task in the forthcoming My Own Boss entrepreneurship reality show sponsored by all key players in the motor industry would require contestants to influence such a policy and use it to promote local vehicles.
The observation in previous seasons of the reality show have revealed that the youthful contestants have an ability, which sometimes appears supernatural, to implement business tasks that are sometimes impossible to achieve in the real world corporate game.
The boys and girls might just find a solution to this sector in record time, increase sells volume for local businesses and declare a profit for the assembly plant and themselves.
We will have to wait until June to see what the Buy Zimbabwe edition of the reality show has in store for audiences.
What is exciting about this year’s season of the show is that audiences will get to witness Buy Zimbabwe outside the boardroom and in the streets.
The contestants shall be tasked to practically implement the resolutions of the Buy Zimbabwe Conference and some of the outcomes of the campaigns interaction with business, Government and consumers over the last year.
Till next week . . . May God Bless you richly.

l Robert Garai Muganda is the Media and Communications Executive of Buy Zimbabwe. He can be contacted on: email: [email protected] mobile: 0772 714 233 facebook: buy zimbabwe campaign.