Ready for the Upturn

Scania Southern Africa’s biggest coup to date is surely its contract to supply 143 specially designed Euro-4 compliant buses to the City of Johannesburg’s Bus Rapid Transit system. The first phase of this project went operational in September this year.

The deep global recession that has stricken world economies over the last two years caused a massive drop in demand for, among many other things, heavy commercial vehicles in the southern African market. The drop in sales is estimated to be as high as 57%. Yet, despite this significant contraction in the HCV market, Scania Southern Africa has managed to increase its market share from 5.6% in 2008 to 9% in the first ten months of 2009.

“Essentially, Scania’s one of the winners of the market,” says Christoffer Ljungner, managing director of Scania Southern Africa.

This contradiction of the trend is testament to the company’s efforts to expand and upgrade its dealer and workshop network across the country and in neighbouring territories, and to rapidly and intensively revamp its service to customers. In the past 18 months Scania Southern Africa has doubled the size and capacity of its truck assembly line in Aeroton, Johannesburg. It has also increased its product range from only eight long haul models to a wide range of trucks in 32 configurations across its P, G and R-Series models.

The company has also added several new dealer and workshop facilities to its family.

Scania also supplies Euro-4 and ADR compliant truck tractors to many local transporters of hazardous cargo. Total Oil South Africa and Unitrans uses Euro-4 compliant Scania ADR tractors to haul their petroleum tanker trailers.

Other safety features available in Scania trucks include a disc brake system, hydraulic retarder and Scania’s acclaimed OptiCruise automatic gearbox, now fitted in all vehicles. In addition, the optional Alcolock system requires drivers to perform a breathalyser test in order to start the vehicle, and will request random tests on a journey.

Besides environmental concerns, Scania also focuses on broad safety issues, not only with regards to the safety features of its vehicles, but on the road as well. Scania Southern Africa enjoys close ties to the Department of Transport and the Arrive Alive Foundation on matters of road safety. It invests considerable funds towards road safety education in local schools and on SABC TV.

One of Scania’s most valued offerings is the wide range of products available from Scania Finance, which is an independent sister company that offers Scania customers a range of flexible financing and insurance solutions. These cover a variety of cost effective service and maintenance packages that provide a 24-hour call centre, plus service, repairs and roadside assistance from any of Scania’s southern African dealer workshops, as well as fleet management solutions and even driver training.

The company’s newly introduced Scania Approved programme now offers refurbished, high quality used Scania vehicles, parts and components to southern Africa’s cash strapped hauliers. These hardy vehicles can be obtained at up to 40% less than the price of a new Scania. And Scania’s finance and insurance, and service and maintenance offerings, apply to these vehicles as well.