Hero MotoCorp on Friday announced its entry into the African market with the launch of its products in Kenya.
Hero MotoCorp (HMC) has set up an assembly unit in Kenya and has also partnered Ryce East Africa to sell products in the country. Under the alliance, Sameer Group, a part of Ryce East Africa, will be the authorised distributor of HMC’s range of two-wheelers in Kenya, the company said in a statement.
The company will also be commencing operations in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast next week.
“We are delighted to see brand Hero make its debut in the African continent with the first launch in Kenya. This is a strategic market for us in our overall plan for the continent, which is why we are also starting our first Africa CKD assembly operations here,” HMC Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer Pawan Munjal said. The company, however, did not share the capacity of the Kenyan assembly plant. HMC said it had introduced a range of Hero two-wheeler brands across categories, including the entry-level segment, Dawn, the Deluxe segment, Splendor Pro, Glamour and Hunk, and the premium segment, Karizma.
“Indeed, our Africa business is going to play a crucial role in our plans of taking Hero global,” Mr. Munjal said.
Hero MotoCorp will soon launch brand-building initiatives in this market with the English version of the Hero anthem ‘Hum Main Hai Hero’ (There’s a Hero in Each of Us), which would be aired across radio stations in Kenya, the company said.