The managing director of Caetano Angola, Fernando Leite, said this Thursday that the global volume of revenue collection at the company also includes the sale of parts, from its machinery and equipment sales unit.
At least 300 vehicles were marketed by the company, representing Ford, Volkswagen, Citroën, Peugeot and Chery, in 2021, a volume that the firm plans to expand to 500 this year, also hoping to invoice an amount above 11 billion kwanzas.
The prospect of growth in turnover stems from two new brands that are being marketed by the company in Angola, namely the Chinese brand Chery and Renault Trucks, heavy trucks.
The Portuguese ambassador to Angola, Francisco Alegre Duarte, visited the company, located in the municipality of Talatona, south of Luanda, and received explanations from the management about the degree of operation.
Importing and repairing vehicles has been the company's "core business" in Angola since 1990.
Speaking at the end of the Portuguese diplomat's visit, Fernando Leite said that the Angolan car market, which includes official importers, has been in decline since 2014, when it was worth 44,000 units.
According to the official, 2021 was the first year of the reversal of the decline, having already represented 3,876 units, within the framework of the Association of Road Transport and Other Equipment Dealers (ACETRO).
"Then there's a whole market of parallel importers that we don't dominate and don't even know, but it's also a very large market", he pointed out.
For Fernando Leite, the parallel car sales market in Angola constitutes "unfair competition, which often harms ACETRO members", as they do not have the structure to guarantee after-sales services to customers, the supply of parts, "the which makes the car cheaper".
He considered that "some bureaucratic problems" still persist in Angola, especially in the unloading of goods, "which create embarrassment for customers waiting for vehicles, which sometimes cannot be delivered with the desired speed".
The managing director of Caetano Angola praised the appreciation of the kwanza, admitting that the prices of its products could fall, "but not immediately", pointing out the "lack of bank financing" as the main constraint for customers.
"Our main constraint is the customer not getting financing from the bank to buy their car, we have customers who really want our cars, but unfortunately they can't get this financing", concluded the official.
