Africa is turning into a prized continent for the global automotive aftermarket, as international manufacturers turn their attention to a region where spare parts demand is estimated to grow by 9 per cent annually over the next four years.

With more than 34 million vehicles plying the region’s roads, Africa is seen as a major growth market for suppliers of spare parts and accessories, said a statement.  

The business case is particularly strong in Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, which will be the focus of a two-day roadshow examining ways to ease access to the lucrative region.

Automechanika Roadshow to West Africa first stopped in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital, at the Radisson Blu Hotel last month, before moving onto Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos’ Golden Tulip hotel, later that same month.

More than 200 delegates attended, with one of the topics centred around leveraging opportunities at Automechanika Dubai, the Middle East and Africa’s largest aftermarket trade exhibition, where African trade buyers have increased exponentially in recent years.

Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Automechanika Dubai, said the value of African spare parts demand (excluding tires, batteries and lubricants) will reach $15.3 billion by 2020, up from an estimated $10.68 billion in 2016.

Pauwels said: “We’ve noticed a marked increase in trade inquiries from Africa, and visitors from the continent to Automechanika Dubai have grown from 249 in 2012 to 2,215 in 2017, at an average growth of 43 percent annually.”

“The roadshow to Abidjan and Lagos gives us a chance to reach out to and connect key players in these crucial markets and create awareness about the immense business generating and sourcing opportunities available at Automechanika Dubai,” he said.

The 16th edition of Automechanika Dubai will take place from May 1 to 3, 2018, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, featuring more than 2,000 exhibitors from 57 countries, and attracting 30,000 plus trade buyers from 136 countries.  

Pauwels said with more than 11.5 million vehicles, Nigeria is seen as one of the top African aftermarket destinations, accounting for more than US$1.5 billion in parts consumption in 2016.  

He added: “Cars that are 16 years or older contribute 54 per cent to overall vehicles in use in Sub-Saharan Africa, creating huge replacement demand for parts.”

Automechanika Dubai 2018 will return with the popular Automechanika Academy – a series of seminars, presentations, and workshops about key issues and regulations that affect the automotive aftermarket, and the African Buyer-Seller Meet, connecting suppliers with buyers from the world’s second largest continent, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service