Chinese auto company on the road to Africa

The successful sale of the first automobile made by Cowin Auto in Madagascar marks the Chinese company's official entry into the African market, Chinanews reported on Sunday.

The company's first customer was a woman who was very satisfied with the SUV's chassis adjustment, shock absorption and appearance, as well as passability and power performance. She decided to buy it the same day as a test drive, said Cao Yangtian, deputy general manager.

Cowin Auto is speeding up its overseas market layout to let more overseas consumers have the option of products made in China, Cao said.

Many Chinese companies from Southwest China's Sichuan province are interested in the African continent. A light truck made by Sichuan JAC Automobile made its maiden journeys to Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo last year.

Cowin Auto are exploring African markets including Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. The company is expected to introduce 3,000 to 5,000 vehicles in the African market next year, Cao said.

The economy is relatively better developed in Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia in Africa and they will be Cowin Auto's future key markets, which are expected to drive the growth of surrounding markets, Cao said.

Since their entry into the market about 20 years ago, Chinese automobiles have been becoming increasingly popular in Africa, which has great potential and an increasing penetration rate for Chinese brands, Cao said.

From January to October, the total import and export volume of auto goods was $165.66 billion, up 40.2 percent year-on-year, among which the export volume of auto goods was $89.49 billion, up 57.6 percent year-on-year, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

In China's auto exports, the proportion of automobiles exported to Africa has increased to about 10 percent. Egypt and South Africa are China's two largest auto markets in Africa, said Xu Haidong, deputy chief engineer of the association.