Indian two-wheeler companies are some of the most reputed and largest in the world. But Bajaj and TVS have dominated the African continent almost entirely.
Bajaj and TVS Motors are the two most popular two-wheeler companies in Africa. Together, they have managed to almost kill 160 Chinese two-wheeler companies on the continent. Looking at the world stats, 4 Indian companies feature in the top 10 biggest two-wheeler manufacturers list. This includes Hero Moto Corp, Bajaj Auto, TVS and Royal Enfield. While Royal Enfield manufactures distinct motorcycles/tourers and exports them around the world, the other three own a large chunk of the sub-300-cc segment market. Let us check out the actual facts and reasons why Bajaj and TVS are able to own the African market.
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Bajaj TVS Killed Chinese Companies In Africa
According to this well-researched video, China has over 200 two-wheeler companies. It absorbs the bikes for domestic use, as well as is one of the biggest exporters in the world. It captured the African continent first and around 200 companies began selling their bikes. However, most bikes were exported directly from China and assembled by the local motorcycle shops in various nations of Africa. But there was no aftersales support and the quality of bikes was not great either. China, as always, focuses on quantity rather than quality. Because of that, the bikes were cheap but not durable. Especially considering the harsh terrains in most African nations, their bikes didn’t have a long lifecycle.
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That is when Bajaj, TVS and Hero entered the market. The road conditions were not great in India at that time either. Indian companies knew how to manufacture reliable and high-quality products for such scenarios. After the initial success of Bajaj and TVS, almost 160 Chinese companies shut down their business in Africa and only about 40 major manufacturers still remain. The Bajaj Boxer had a 40% market share in Africa in 2019-20. This should give you an idea about the sheer dominance of Bajaj there. The Bora Bora operators (bike taxis) shared the reliability of Indian bikes in African countries leading to a boost in sales.
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Bajaj operates in over 70 countries worldwide, TVS has its businesses in over 60 countries, while Hero sells its bikes in over 40 countries. With such a market share in the global market, the affordable yet reliable motorcycles are the reason for their success which finds usage in almost every country.
