Two and half years ago, Tata International signed an agreement with Afgri Ghana to buy the distribution rights for John Deere agricultural equipment. The success and growth in selling and supporting the full line of John Deere products in Ghana as well as other African countries has resulted in a new strategic decision to invest in Zambia.

Tata Zambia has acquired the full distribution rights of John Deere products from Afgri Equipment in that country and will be operational as of 01 June 2021.

"We are very proud to have been given this opportunity and thank Afgri Equipment for this. We are also grateful to John Deere for showing confidence in us to represent the brand in another country on the continent,"says Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa.

"Our initial focus will be on parts availability and swift delivery of parts to customers, as well as products fit for purpose. Our deep customer understanding and focus on delivering customer value defines the way we do business, and our resourceful team is willing to go the extra mile to deliver proficient services," he adds.

Tata's commitment to the John Deere brand and its customers in Africa was recently recognised by John Deere Africa Middle East when Tata's Ghana operation was awarded John Deere Africa's prestigious 2020 Dealer of the Year Award for the category of dealers outside the SADC region.

"In addition to this award, which means a great deal to us, we have made successful inroads in winning market share as a new player in the industry, which is extremely encouraging. Our commitment to customer support through our Uptime strategy has benefited John Deere owners in Ghana and other countries in which we operate and we are looking forward to replicating this in Zambia," adds Brand.

"Tata Africa has proven time and again that it is a leading company to be aligned to, not only as a distributor or dealer for OEMs, but also as a premium supplier and dedicated aftermarket support and service to our retail customers in Africa. We are committed to the company's vision of building and sustaining relationships with cooperation and trust," concludes Brand.

Tata has operated successfully on the African continent for more than 40 years, having commenced operations in Zambia in 1977 when Tata Zambia was created, a business mainly involved in the import of Tata vehicles into the country, along with marketing and after-sales services. Tata International Africa in Zambia now sells, supports and distributes Tata truck and buses, Daewoo Trucks, Jaguar Land Rover vehicles and now proudly adds John Deere Agriculture Equipment to its offering. John Deere construction equipment will be introduced in Zambia in the third quarter of 2021.