TOYOTA TSUSHO MANUFACTURING GHANA CO. LIMITED (“TTMG”), Toyota Tsusho Corporation (“Toyota Tsusho”)’s vehicle assembly company in the Republic of Ghana, began SKD* production of Suzuki Motor Corporation (“Suzuki”)’s Swift compact car in Ghana in September 2022.
*SKD: Semi-knockdown. A method of vehicle assembly that the welded and painted body is imported and the components parts are assembled with body and chassis, or its parts configuration.
This is one of the initiatives based on the MOU on Cooperation in Developing Automotive Industry signed between Toyota Tsusho and the Government of Ghana at the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) held in Yokohama, Japan in August 2019. TTMG began SKD production of Toyota Motor Corporation (“Toyota”)’s pickup truck “Hilux” in June 2021. This is the first time that Toyota Tsusho produces Suzuki vehicles in Africa as well as mixed production of the two brands.
To mark the start of production, a ceremony was held in Ghana on January 30 in the presence of the Minister of Trade and Industry Samuel Abu Jinapor, Japanese Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana Hisanobu Mochizuki, and Suzuki Managing Officer Koichi Suzuki.
Suzuki Managing Officer Koichi Suzuki, who attended the ceremony, said: “We would like to expand Suzuki’s presence in Ghana. We hope that the people of Ghana will grow fond to our products, including the Swift.” In addition, Toyota Tsusho COO for Africa Division Shinichiro Otsuka spoke about his hopes, stating that: “I would like to thank the Government of Ghana for their cooperation and ask for their continued support for the development of the automobile industry. Toyota Tsusho will make efforts with the spirit “With Ghana, For Ghana”.”
This SKD production of the Swift has been executed as part of strengthening and expanding the alliance between Suzuki, which concluded a collaboration agreement with Toyota in March 2019, and Toyota Tsusho, which received the full transfer of sales and marketing operations in Africa from Toyota in January 2019.
The Toyota Tsusho Group currently produces vehicles in four countries in Africa: Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ghana. The TTMG plant in Ghana has an annual production capacity of 1,700 units and approximately 50 employees.
Going forward, Suzuki and Toyota Tsusho will continue to strengthen and expand their alliance and tailor local production to market needs, further contributing to the development of the automobile industry in Africa.