Zimbabwe has started assembling Yutong buses with Quest Motor Corporation plant located in Mutare being the first of many to roll out.
“Their strategy is to use Zimbabwe as a launch pad to enter the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and SADC,” Quest operations manager Carl Fernandez said.“Yutong’s long-term plan for expansion in Africa is not to export fully built buses but rather to supply kits for local assembly. It is an arrangement which presents huge opportunities for us.”
Fernandez said the arrangement makes Quest the only assembler of Yutong buses in Southern Africa.
Already, Yutong is an accepted brand in Zimbabwe and the company was hoping local buyers would prefer locally assembled units to support the company and related downstream industries.
He said, Quest was strengthening the buses to make them suitable for rural road conditions.
The model being manufactured by the company is Yutong F11 63-seater coach. Apart from Yutong F11, Quest is also assembling Foton 28-seater buses. He said the company was receiving good enquiries from schools “and hoping to get good results”.
Other brands assembled by Quest are Chery, and JMC and Q buses. It also produces Foton Tunland single and double cabs, Mitshubishi Triton double cab.
- Herald
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