Toyota to Transfer All Sales, Marketing Operations for Africa to Toyota Tsusho

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC) have announced that they have concluded a memorandum of understanding on considering the transfer of all Toyota sales & marketing operations for Africa currently conducted by TMC to TTC, from January 2019. According to a statement by TMC, “Such a transfer would concentrate the power of the Toyota Group for contributing to regional development through business and would enable the provision of “bestin-town” service. “Africa is a promising region for which rapid growth is expected, including in its automotive market. Toyota Tsusho, with an Africa Division that specialises in and is dedicated only to Africa, has operations in 53 out of 54 African countries and regions. Furthermore, Toyota Tsusho has more than 10,000 Toyota Tsusho Group employees on site in Africa and has great strengths when it comes to doing business in Africa.” As such, transferring sales & marketing operations forAfricacurrentlyconductedbyTMCtoTTC, which has many genba (front-line places of engagement) that have become highly experienced and competitive through the company’s Africa business, will enable employees of both companies to learn from each other at genba that are closer to the market. Toyota and Toyota Tsusho believe this will further the development of the human resources of the Toyota Group, with a focus on each individual. By promotinggreaterworkefficiencyandstrengthening their activities in Africa, Toyota and Toyota Tsusho also aim to provide better services to their customers in Africa. Excluded from the scope of this development are local operations of Toyota South Africa Motors (Pty) Ltd. (in the Republic of South Africa). The statement said, “Toyota and Toyota Tsusho aim to be “best-in-town” companies by working to solve African social issues through their mobility operations in Africa and by continuing to contribute to the development of the region.”