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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
FEBRUARY 2015
34
A first for FAW
AS IT KICKS OFF 2015
F
AW Vehicle Manufacturers SA (Pty)
Ltd has started the New Year with an-
other “First”. A mere six months af-
ter opening its plant in Coega to assemble
FAW trucks locally, the company has dis-
patched its first five export units to the FAW
dealership in Kenya.
On 16 January the five FAW J5P truck trac-
tor units headed off to Transafrica Motors
Limited based in Mombasa, Kenya.
Yusheng Zhang, CEO of FAW Vehicle Manu-
facturers SA, said: “Once again FAW is set-
ting a benchmark for Chinese truck manu-
facturing locally.
“Not only have we managed to produce
the best quality levels, comparable – if not
better - than our FAW parent company in
China, but we’ve been able to do so in a
very short run-in period for a plant that only
came on stream six months ago.”
The Africa dealers who traditionally placed
their orders on FAW China are moving their
shipments to originate out of South Africa
owing to the shorter lead time for delivery,
the high levels of quality which some have
come to verify personally at Coega in South
Africa, and the reduced cost of sourc-
ing FAW vehicles on the same continent.
Says Zhang: “We are already working on a
special order for the FAW Tanzania dealer-
ship. What is significant is that the export
destinations can more readily adjust some
specifications to accommodate customers’
requirements specific to their markets.
“In this way we anticipate providing FAW
trucks to Africa customers which will de-
light them with personalised modifications,
as well as provide them with our renowned
robust and durable FAW trucks, tipper and
mixer ranges.”
The FAW J5P 6X4 380 HP truck tractor is a
stalwart product for Africa road conditions.
The 55-ton GCM vehicle can cope easily
with the region’s dust and dirt challenges,
as well as rough roads and slippery condi-
tions. With its high payload capacity it will
provide good return on investment for most
any operation, such as mining, long haul,
logging or the like.
The quality built from the Coega-based
plant ensure that the solid chassis and
frame continue to give transport owners
the ease of driveability they have come to
expect from FAW trucks.
The Kenya-based dealer, who has been a
firm believer in the FAW brand for over, 30
years indicated that they were delighted
that the products were so easy to source.
They continue to provide service and parts
back up throughout the region.Another
advantage of the running FAW trucks is
that they are easy to maintain and service,
with excellent accessibility to spare parts
if needed.
“The FAW Coega plant team have outdone
themselves, proving that the ‘Made in
South Africa’ badge can be worn with pride.
The original decision to build the FAW plant
in South Africa was very significant from a
global perspective, as it is one of the most
important and largest investments made
by a Chinese entity in South Africa to date.
The USD 60 million investment needed for
the Coega plant was financed by the China
FAW Group Corporation, the China-Africa
Development Fund (CAD-Fund) together
with FAW Africa Investment Company LTD.
This collaboration speaks volumes to the
growing interest from global Chinese In-
dustry in unlocking the true Africa potential.
“This export milestone, so soon after our
inauguration, further cements our presence
in South Africa,” says Zhang proudly.
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