FAW vehicles have become evermore popular amongst the agricultural community, and the numbers of FAW in this sector are growing exponentially year on year.
The FAW exhibition stand at NAMPO this year was a frontrunner in terms of best automotive industry stands. It maintained its stand size, vehicle representation and engagement with the public.
Farmers like the FAW brand for its strong chassis; grip and traction through a manual transmission; a decent cab design for in field and on-road driving comfort.
“The interest in our stand and our vehicles was astounding. Visitors to the stand remarked on the exceptional finish of our cabs, our reasonable pricing and the transformation towards the modern design of our trucks,” said Jianyu Hao, CEO of FAW Vehicle Manufacturers South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
“High-quality manufacture, yet simple in design; high levels of performance; and economical operation – this is what FAW commercial vehicles offer,” said Hao.
“At NAMPO we showcased a range of our highly affordable trucks. Those farmers visiting our stand were highly engaged with our sales teams, as they discussed and proved our claims with actual figures from farm operations, and the low cost of ownership of an FAW vehicle.”
Two of FAW’s best sellers – the FAW 8.140FL and the FAW 15.180FL – were centre-stage to demonstrate exactly why these vehicles have gained such high acceptance levels in their respective market segments, including the agricultural community.
This is the 16th time that FAW has participated at NAMPO. “This certainly demonstrates our commitment to the farming community. We’ve recognised the patronage and loyal support of the multitude of agricultural customers who have, over the past 22 years that FAW has been present in SA, remained committed to our brand,” said Hao.
The number of FAW trucks sold in the sub-Saharan region has grown exponentially since the opening of the Coega-based plant in 2014. Many Southern African customers are buying locally produced vehicles because of the obvious cost benefits and the opportunity to purchase well-engineered trucks, some modified to meet specific regional conditions.
The advantages of ‘buying local’ abound. These include – the shorter lead-time for delivery; the internationally recognised, high quality levels maintained in the South African plant; and the reduced cost of sourcing FAW vehicles locally, rather than importing.
Jianyu Hao explained, “There are many advantages of sourcing FAW products from our South African base – the most important being time-to-market in the African countries, and of course for the SADC and AU, the added advantage which comes from the import/export duty agreements.”
The NAMPO Harvest Day held annually at Bothaville in the Free State has attracted not only local agricultural role players, but also many visitors with an agricultural interest from across the entire continent and other continents, specifically South America and Asia.
Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day is reportedly the largest collection of agricultural exhibitions under private ownership in the southern hemisphere. According to their website the NAMPO Harvest Day enables the agricultural industry to experience first-hand and on one terrain, the latest technology and products on offer in the farming industry.
