A new MAN and Volkswagen (VW) heavy-commercial vehicle servicing facility has opened in Nairobi, Kenya.

The R32.5-million, 9 000 m2 facility is owned by industrialist Rajinder Singh Baryan, MD of RT East Africa Limited (RTEAL).

“The new facility will offer after-sales service for MAN trucks, with . . . 12 truck service bays, and carry an extensive inventory of MAN parts,” says Baryan.

“Our new MAN Service Centre of Excellence . . . will not only cater for new MAN truck buyers, but will also cater to MAN TopUsed buyers who, for a long time, have not had a world-class facility to service their trucks.”

RTEAL is a transport solutions provider specialising in the heavy-commercial vehicle industry. The group was awarded the franchise to market and distribute VW trucks and buses and MAN trucks in 2012.

also owns a Randon trailer assembly plant in Kenya and a facility that assembles MAN and VW trucks and buses.

Baryan says RTEAL plans to build other service outlets across major towns in Kenya.

Meanwhile, family-owned Namibian automotive company Metje + Ziegler Group has opened an upgraded 2-ha MAN sales and servicing dealership in Windhoek.

It has a dealer network that includes multibranded commercial vehicle and passenger car facilities, with the new dealership, Autohaus Windhoek Truck & Bus, catering to MAN and VW heavy-commercial vehicle operators.

Metje + Ziegler Group’s Autohaus division acquired the MAN franchise in 2010, following VW’s acquisition of a majority stake in MAN that same year.

“Autohaus Windhoek Truck & Bus will now be able to raise service levels, with a new parts facility holding a boosted inventory to the value of R5-million,” comments Metje + Ziegler Group MD Verena Grüttemeyer.

“A new inspection pit is ready and will improve vehicle servicing turnaround times for our truck and bus customers. The workshop can accommodate eight vehicles at a time and, with our team of nine highly trained technicians, we will be able to keep customer vehicle downtime to a minimum.”

Head of MAN Sub-Equatorial Africa Robert Clough says Autohaus Truck & Bus has improved MAN’s market share in Namibia by 150% since acquiring the franchise five years ago, giving the MAN brand a total national market share of 20%.

Following ten years at the German truck maker, MAN Truck & Bus South Africa MD Geoff du Plessis will be leaving the group at the end of the year

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