Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation controls 57.3 per cent of all motor vehicles sales in Kenya, according to new official data which shows automakers’ market shares for used and new models.
This is the first time that the exact dominance of Toyota, long acknowledged as the Kenya market leader, has been disclosed in numbers.
Together, Japanese firms including Nissan Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Company and Isuzu Motors, account for 91 per cent of all vehicles sold in Kenya.
Data from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) shows that 97,105 Toyotas were registered in the 22 months through October when total vehicle registrations stood at 169,206.
About 87 per cent of registered vehicles are used models comprising passenger cars where Toyota leads in sales.
The most popular makes of the Japanese automaker include Probox whose unit sales in the period stood at 14,188, followed by others like Corolla (10,786), Land Cruiser (8,110), Hiace (5,353) and Vitz (5,468).
Sales of Probox have surged in recent years owing to its versatile use as a carrier of people and cargo.
Besides used imports, a fraction of Toyotas is sold through the local franchise holder Toyota Kenya.
Nissan motors
Nissan Motor Corporation is second with an 11.7 per cent market share, with 19,864 units of its makes sold in the review period.
The top-selling Nissan makes include Note whose unit sales stood at 3,686, Tiida (2,783), Advan (1,939), Wingroad (1,209) and March (1,201).
The local official dealer of Nissan is Crown Motors but most of the Japanese firm’s vehicles are imported, having been used in foreign markets.
Sales of Honda, which has the third-largest market share of five per cent, stood at 8,483 led by makes such as Fit that moved 4,331 units, Insight (1,314) and CRV (954).
New Hondas are sold locally by Honda Nairobi — the franchise holder.
Isuzu is fourth with a 4.8 per cent market share, with sales of its makes standing at 8,223 units in the review period.
Isuzu, whose local subsidiary is Isuzu East Africa, however, leads in the new vehicle segment with a market share of more than 30 per cent.
