Len Brand - Afrikan Heroes

Tata Ghana Wins John Deere Africa Dealer of the Year Award 2020

February 10, 2021

Tata International Africa’s Ghana operation has been awarded John Deere Africa’s prestigious 2020 Dealer of the Year Award for the category of dealers outside the SADC region. “ The John Deere Dealer of the Year Award is presented to a dealer that performs over and above in various aspects of the business including delivering value to our customers. With the commitment the Tata team has demonstrated towards the John Deere brand and our customers, it does not come as a surprise that it has won the 2020 award,” says Jaco Beyers, Managing Director, John Deere Africa Middle East (AME).

Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa

In addition to overall customer satisfaction, other key criteria for the award include turnover and market share growth, adds Beyers. “We are passionate about customer care and part of the evaluation for this award is assessing how our dealers take care of our customers. From a John Deere point of view, we actively engage with our dealers not to purely sell a product, but to also build lasting relationships with all customers. It is for this reason that Aftermarket and Customer Support weighted highly in assessing the winner of this award.”

At the handover of the award at John Deere Africa’s head office in Boksburg, Ekhuruleni, South Africa this month, Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa, said: “We wish to thank John Deere AME for this wonderful acknowledgement. This award demonstrates the strength of the business partnership and teamwork between our two world-class brands, operating together on the continent, has been the key to our success.

“Receiving this award is testament that if you put the right talent together, it works. These kinds of awards confirm that what we are doing in Africa is working well. It’s good for us and it’s good for the OEMs. Looking at Ghana, we have great fundamentals in place there. We have trucks, we have buses, we have agriculture equipment, we have construction equipment, an excellent team and the cherry on top is our retail financing offering. All these elements work very well if you have a great deal in place. And that’s exactly where we are right now,” adds Brand.

“Huge congratulations must go to David Kelder, Head of Agriculture and Construction Business at Tata International Africa. His focused leadership, clear strategy and knowledge and commitment to the John Deere brand in all the territories in which we operate in Africa is unwavering.

“Of course, it goes without saying that the team in Ghana is truly doing an excellent job – they’re a fantastic team, very focused, they know what they have to do and have a great ability to know how to penetrate the market. This award is recognition for them, not for us. It is an incredible honour to receive this award. The hard work and effort, which has led to this momentous achievement, has been recognised,” comments Brand.

The Ghana operation is headed by Aline Badr, the only woman business leader in Tata International Africa. Aline and her team has certainly set the bar high. She has successfully led the team in Ghana since Tata commenced operations in the country early in 2019.

“Our solid reputation of supporting John Deere products sold in Africa has certainly borne fruit. In addition to this award, which means a great deal to us, we have made successful in-roads in winning market share as a new player in the industry, which is extremely encouraging. Our commitment to customer support through our uptime strategy has benefited John Deere owners in Ghana and other countries in which we operate,” concludes Brand.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Flagship John Deere Dealership Expands to Ghana by 2021

November 20, 2020

As more African countries deploy technology to food production, one of the leading manufacturers of Tractors globally, John Deere has announced the opening of its dealership in Ghana come next year. This comes as part of the expansion plan launched by Tata International Africa and John Deere Construction & Forestry as the authorised distributor for its products in Ghana and Nigeria.

Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa

The addition of John Deere Construction equipment to Tata International Africa’s product lineup has enhanced the company’s ability to further meet the customer needs in a region where the company also sells and supports the John Deere Agricultural Equipment range.

The success and growth in selling and supporting the full line of John Deere Construction Equipment in Ghana, including the iconic John Deere excavators, has resulted in a strategic decision to invest in developing a brand-new, full-service, flagship dealership in Takoradi, Ghana. The dealership will officially be opened in the first quarter of 2021.

“Our solid reputation of supporting John Deere products sold in Africa has enabled us to make this investment. In addition, we have made successful inroads in winning market share as a new player in the industry, which is extremely encouraging. Our commitment to customer support through our Uptime strategy has benefited John Deere owners in Ghana and other countries in which we operate,” says Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa.

“Apart from the financial investment in building this new dealership in Tokaradi, we will be creating employment in the area as well. Africa’s manufacturing, mining and quarrying sectors have played a continuous and significant role in the development of Ghana’s economy. We are looking forward to playing a part in the further development of this region’s economy,” continued Brand.

The financing of heavy commercial vehicles, construction equipment and agricultural machinery presents a unique set of challenges in Africa, but the introduction of Captive Retail Finance solution, called AFCL in the region has afforded some leeway in the way credit is provided. The retail credit provider started operations on the African continent in November 2017, in Tanzania, and has since become the go-to specialist company providing captive financing solutions for customers purchasing vehicles from Tata International Africa.

The company prides itself on setting an industry standard by providing a quick and easy application process and flexible payment terms for its customers. AFCL operates in a challenging environment, where access to finance solutions in the vehicle market is restricted, and where cost of ownership is a source of concern to many individuals and businesses. Since its inception two years ago, AFCL has financed more than 800 customers who, collectively, bought in excess of 1,600 vehicles and equipment.

“We are obsessed with serving our customers and helping to solve problems,” says Brand. “Our policy of deep customer understanding and delivering customer value defines the way we do business, and our resourceful team is willing to go the extra mile to deliver proficient services. Because access to credit is restricted, we support customers in overcoming this obstacle by providing easy application and credit processes with novel, flexible repayment structures.

AFCL’s product offering includes repayment terms in USD or local currency, loan durations between 12 and 36 months, with minimal deposit requirements. Finance is available for individuals, first-time buyers and companies looking to purchase commercial, agricultural, construction or passenger vehicles. AFCL branches currently in operation across Africa include Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia. There are plans underway to introduce AFCL in South Africa and Senegal later this year.

“Tata Africa has proven that it is recognised as a leading company to be aligned to, not only as a distributor or dealer for OEMs, but also as a premium supplier and dedicated aftermarket support and service to our retail customers in Africa. We are committed to the company’s vision of building and sustaining relationships with cooperation and trust,” concludes Brand.

The two companies both boast a long and proud history. John Deere is a leading manufacturer of agriculture, construction and forestry equipment with manufacturing facilities worldwide, while Tata has been operating successfully on the African continent for more than 40 years.