Conti opens office in Ghana

Accra, Ghana – Continental AG has established a subsidiary in Ghana to coordinate development of Conti’s sales efforts throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

“The launch of the new West Africa legal entity is driven by our African Dawn initiative, which recognizes the growing economic importance of African on a global scale,” said Shaun Uys, managing director of Continental Tire Sub-Saharan Africa.

The new entity, Continental Tire West Africa, will enable Conti to expand its distribution channels and number of retail outlets and target new business opportunities in the fleet, rental, government, ports and mining sectors through a dedicated team based in Ghana, Uys said.

Continental goes to market in Ghana through a long-term partnership with Rainbow Motor Workshop & Engineering Ltd., which operates a warehouse and is the ContiPartner dealer in Accra along with managing a network of independent dealers across the country, according to Continental Tyre South Africa.

“Following the successful model that is used in the highly competitive South African market, the new legal entity will enable us to involve existing and new partners to further expand our reach across the region, thus accessing a far broader market with top-quality products and fitment services,” said Johann Liebenberg, general sales manager for passenger and light truck tires replacement for sub-Saharan Africa.

“Additionally, we will be working with new partners to develop our ContiPartner Express stores in fuel stations and other environments,” Liebenberg said. “This includes supporting resellers and street market dealers who have the potential to grow into formal retail outlets.”

The company also will support independent branded dealers with their Continental Associate Program (CAP) stores, which are supplied with certain signage elements and preferential pricing in exchange for tire purchases from its official distribution channel — a process that ensures optimal product quality and efficiency of all related services.

Continental also plaans to roll out its Conti360° Fleet Services division that caters to commercial customers, providing a range of services designed to achieve maximum efficiency and the lowest overall driving costs.

Conti did not disclose its sales volume in the region nor its growth expectations.

Conti’s brand offerings throughout the region comprise the Continental, General and Matador brands.