Kantanka – Ghana’s first car manufacturer hits the market!
In Ghana, Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, nicknamed the ‘Apostle’, has finally realised his dream of developing and marketing cars that are entirely “Made in Ghana”.
Kwadwo Safo Kantanka started out by attempting to make voice controlled television sets, is now telling the established auto brands to move over!
“It’s been in the pipeline since 1971,”
Kwado Safo junior, one of the inventor’s sons, told AFP.
“It started with the old man, so it’s been a long time coming.”
The range of vehicles from Kantanka include sports utility vehicles and pickup trucks and they’ve got social media in Ghana talking! They’ve used an advertising campaign using local music and movie stars and it seems to be working.
Buying a Katanka will set you back between R207 000 – R525 000, which is unfortunately out of range for most people in Ghana. There are plans however for a cheaper saloon car, expected to go on sale next year.
This locally made vehicle is entering a difficult market, going head to head with the already established car brands. This combined with the fact that Ghana sees around 12 000 new vehicles and 100 000 second-hand vehicles imported annually.
The chief executive of the Kantanka Group, who is also the owner’s son, is confident that there will be demand and that the company can hold its own amongst the difficult competition.
“Already we have certain companies in Ghana who have come to make certain outrageous orders for huge numbers that we have to meet. So, we are working,”
he said, without giving any specifics.
The President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama has been urging people to buy locally produced goods, as it will boost the stuttering economy. In 2014 he even showed off a pair of shoes that were made in Ghana, during his annual State of the Nation address. He further went on to criticise the lack of appreciation for these locally made goods and noted the over-reliance on imported goods.
“Any import items we buy as Ghanaians constitutes an export of jobs in this country, especially in respect of the items for which we have comparative advantage to produce,”
he said at the time.
For Kantanka some key components such as glass, tyres and brake callipers are imported, AFP was told on a visit to the company’s technology research centre west of Accra last year.
The Made in Ghana label means that “if you have any problems with the vehicle, you wouldn’t have to import from India or China or America. All the parts are right here and we have a 24-hour service,” he said.
Six months ago, Ghana’s police service received one of the pick-up trucks, potentially paving the way for other government agencies to place orders.
“They all started from scratch. Who knows? Kantaka could be the next Toyota.”
Source: IOL