CUMMINS has increased its regional distribution network in southern Africa from six to 12 as part of an ongoing expansion of its dealer network model. The new dealers are in Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
“We are committed to serving our customer base in the southern African region through our new channel partners giving them the capability to provide end-of-mile support,” said Racheal Njoroge, MD Cummins Southern Africa, adding that the company uses this partnership model globally, with thousands of dealers appointed around the world and not something specific to the region.
“We are thrilled to welcome all our new partners to the Cummins Distribution Business, which spans over 190 countries globally,” said Patrice Ndzana, General Manager: Cross Border Business Southern Africa. “The focus is to ensure that efficient and reliable product supply and support is offered to our customers while extending our footprint, enabling territory coverage and capable networks.”
Cummins’ main path to market is through its distribution channels, fully or wholly owned entities, joint venture partnerships, independent distributors, or dealers.
“In terms of these three countries, we are now transitioning to that dealer support model,” said Njoroge. From a footprint perspective, Cummins is not reducing its coverage as a result. “It is very important for our customers to understand that we are not exiting these countries.”
She said the benefits of appointing dealers compared to having a brick-and-mortar presence in-country is the added flexibility it affords Cummins in responding to customer requirements.
“These entities are highly entrepreneurial and have a lot of inherent agility due to being involved with our customers at ground level. From a Cummins perspective, we are here to provide power solutions that empower our customers’ success.”
She added that all the new partners have been provided with the necessary training to familiarise them with Cummins’ processes and procedures. Parts availability and technical training are critical elements of Cummins’ service, which the dealer will continue to provide, in addition to escalated support being available from the Cummins technical team.
“This allows for a smooth transition in terms of customer support.”
Two local Dealers have been appointed for each of the three countries to ensure that Cummins has an extensive and flexible network suited for local market requirements and will allow for future growth.
Mining and power generation remain the biggest growth markets for Cummins in the region, followed by marine, oil & gas, construction and automotive.
“Such diversification has stood us in good stead in the Southern Africa region, where our strategy has been to continue to service our customers, despite any prevailing volatility or uncertainty in the region,” Ndzana said.
