Toyota Uganda Rebrands To CFAO Motors

Toyota Uganda Limited, the market leader in Uganda’s new car industry, announced has changed its name to Corporation For Africa and Oversea (CFAO) Motors Uganda. This transformation goes hand in hand with the progressive expansion of the range of solutions offered by the company. In 2016, Japanese company Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC), a shareholder in Toyota Uganda Limited acquired the remaining shares of the French trading company Compagnie Française de l’Afrique Occidentale (CFAO), which was operating in Africa.

Present in Uganda since 2005 under the name of Toyota Uganda Limited, the company has over 200 employees who offer complete mobility solutions. The new name CFAO Motors Uganda, therefore, reflects the full range of services the company offers in addition to the exclusive distribution of new Toyota vehicles in Uganda.

“We have been known as Toyota Uganda since 2005. However, increasingly, we have felt the name does not encompass the full breadth of mobility solutions that we offer, over and above the Toyota brand. The rebrand to CFAO Motors Uganda allows us to align with our CFAO Group philosophy that seeks to strengthen our investment in Toyota whilst at the same time offering additional mobility solutions. More than a name change, this is also a milestone that brings us closer to our ambition: sustainable growth, value chain integration, partnership with strong brands and innovation, consolidating our position as a leading automotive brand.” stated Thomas Pelletier, Managing Director of CFAO Motors Uganda.

Indeed, CFAO Motors Uganda is the official distributor of brand-new Suzuki vehicles, Yamaha motorcycles, Hino Trucks, and Toyota forklifts. The company also proposes a range of short and long-term lease and car rental solutions for businesses through the LOXEA brand and its partner Avis Fleet. It also provides a raft of other services to expand the offering, including fleet management, geolocation, telematics, and more.

CFAO Motors Uganda will continue to remain the exclusive manufacturer-authorised distributor of brand-new Toyota vehicles and genuine parts in Uganda, as well as exclusively offering Toyota manufacturer warranty. In addition, the shareholding and team remain the same. CFAO Motors Uganda is a subsidiary of CFAO Automotive, a division of the CFAO Group, which is part of Toyota Tsusho Corporation.

“More than a name change, this is also a milestone that brings us closer to our ambition of sustainable growth, value chain integration, partnership with strong brands and innovation, consolidating our position as a leading automotive brand, “he added. He noted that despite the name change, the shareholders will remain the same. The CFAO Managing Director explained that as part of their efforts to further expand their footprints in Uganda, the company will soon launch new business lines.

“We want to also go into second-hand vehicles that our customers can buy. This way, we shall be able to buy back the brand-new vehicles sold to customers and resell them at affordable prices. We also want to ensure every customer enjoys great after-sale services even if they didn’t buy cars from us,” Pelletier added.

He explained that the company which is also into importation and distribution of drugs to government’s national medical stores and private health facilities through Laborex, will invest more in this line of business. He said whereas the company has been using the CFAO name in West and Central Africa where they have a big base, in Uganda, they were using Toyota but noted it was high time they changed.

With a revenue of over €5.8 billion, access to 46 of the 54 countries in Africa, and nearly 21,000 employees, CFAO is a key player in mobility, healthcare, consumer goods, infrastructure, and energy. As part of its rebrands to CFAO Motors Uganda, the company will soon launch new products and services and more innovative mobility solutions. These new models and products will include connected services, affordable new vehicle financing solutions, and a whole new range of competitively priced automotive parts from international manufacturers, tailored for a broader range of consumers. In tandem with the name change, the company has also adopted a new corporate visual identity.