An oilfield shale shaker trailer, built by Mammut Industries. Oil-producing markets in Africa have been hard hit by low crude prices, the company says. Credit: Supplied
Truck bodybuilders in the UAE, Gorica and Mammut are keen to increase their presence in African markets as they look to venture outside the GCC.
Dubai-based Gorica Industries, one of the biggest names in the segment, is already active in Africa, says managing director Ivan Fornazaric.
“Our main markets are the Middle East and Africa. While the GCC is the company’s focus, East Africa, in particular, is also a notable market due to its geographical proximity. We also sell to West and Central Africa and North Africa,” he added.
UAE-based Mammut is also eyeing opportunities in the East African market, said Fabio Checchin, sales manager at Mammut Industries. This is because the cost of transporting trailers to other parts of Africa is simply not feasible. “There’s no chance to export in South Africa, for example. Unless you are producing some specific bodies that nobody else is making, you can’t be competitive.”
“For the time being, we’re selling a lot of trailers in Ethiopia. Now we would also like to enter Kenya, and there are also some other countries on our radar,” Checchin noted.
Ethiopia looks promising for Mammut, and the company has recently received requests for quotations there.
Despite the large number of construction and infrastructure projects on the continent offering lucrative prospects, Africa has been hard hit by low crude prices. Countries like Algeria and Nigeria, which rely on oil for a significant proportion of their GDP lack money to buy trucks and trailers,” Checchin said.
