Activities by Region

Africa

In the late 1950s, exports of the Land Cruiser to the Republic of South Africa, Nigeria, Angola and other countries began, along with the beginning of Crown exports to Ethiopia.

Toyota has established a solid presence in each country through meticulous efforts tailored to local conditions. Toyota currently has a sales network that extends to 53 African countries and is responding to market growth.

Production in Africa began in 1962 in South Africa, where a plant there became a production base for Hilux and Corolla units to be export to Europe and throughout Africa. Additionally, Land Cruiser assembly in Kenya began in 1977.

Southern Africa

South Africa

Year
Month
Events
1959
June
Exports to the Republic of South Africa commenced with one Land Cruiser
1961
January
Business with Toyota commenced; 10 Stout units exported and sold
1962
February
Distributor agreement signed with Toyopet Commercial (now the TSAM sales & marketing division) (Finally signed in January 25, 1965)
June
Stout assembly commenced by Motor Assemblies (now the TSAM manufacturing division)
November
Johannesburg Representative Office opened
1963
May
Tiara Pickup assembly commenced
1964
December
TSM (now the TSAM manufacturing division) directly managed by TBM (now the TSAM marketing division) Group (became wholly-owned in April 1979)
1966
May
Corona assembly commenced (assembly discontinued in March 1980)
1968
January
Domestic production agreement signed with TBM
July
Machine processing of engine parts commenced
1969
May
MarkII assembly commenced
1970
January
Hilux assembly commenced
1971
July
Operations commenced at new assembly plant
1972
March
Operations commenced at new engine plant
August
Durban Representative Office opened
1975
May
Corolla assembly commenced
1982
May
Model DA truck with domestically-produced engine launched
June
Technical support agreement concerning domestic casting signed with Feroholm
September
Toyota Unity Vehicle (TUV) assembly commenced
1987
March
Dealer Meeting held to mark one million vehicles sold
November
Monthly production reached 10,000 units
1989
May
Stout production discontinued
June
Toyota South Africa Foundation established with contributions from TMC and TSA
1991
November
Hiace stamping commenced
1992
March
Cumulative production reached 1.5 million units
July
Production and sales at Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) integrated
September
Local assembly of Camry commenced (continued through 2002)
September
Lexus introduced
1994
July
Locally-developed 22RE/G used on vehicles
July
Exports to southern Africa commenced
1996
October
Equity stake in TSAM acquired (27.8% stake)
1998
August
Cumulative sales reached 2 million units
2000
May
Toyota Financial Services South Africa (TFSSA), a South African sales financing company, established
2001
January
Cataler South Africa established as joint venture with Cataler Corporation (24% stake)
2002
June
TSAM made a subsidiary of TMC (74.9% holding)
2003
March
Export of Corolla Hatchback produced in South Africa to Australia commenced (continued through 2005)
2005
January
Local production of the Hiace switched to CBU imports
April
Production of Hilux in South Africa commenced
July
Export of South African-manufactured Hilux to other African countries and Europe commenced; Strategy shifted to bolstering competitiveness through decreasing number of production vehicles and increasing production volume
2006
February
Production and sale of Fortuner manufactured in South Africa commenced
June
Tazz production terminated (Corolla Hatchback introduced in 1988)
August
Production capacity increased to 220,000 units
2007
October
Export of Corolla manufactured in South Africa to other African countries commenced
December
Cumulative production reached three million units
2008
March
Export of Corolla manufactured in South Africa to Europe commenced
August
TSAM made a wholly-owned subsidiary of TMC
2009
March
No. 1 position held for 30 consecutive years
April
Dyna medium-size truck shifted to Hino brand to strengthen Hino business

Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana

Year
Month
Events
1958
February
Exports to Angola commenced with eight Land Cruisers
June
Distributor agreement signed with Martin Macedo in Angola (nationalized in October 1977)
1981
May
Land Cruiser assembly commenced by Willowvale Motor Industries (WMI) in Zimbabwe
1983
March
Hilux assembly commenced by Rover Zambia in Zambia
1991
May
Toyota de Angola established through joint investment by Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Lonrho
1993
May
Local production in Zimbabwe terminated
1994
June
Botswana distributor placed under umbrella of TSAM
2001
February
Toyota Tsusho distributors established in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Angola (wholly-owned by Toyota Tsusho Corporation)

Northern Africa

Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco

Year
Month
Events
1947
 
SA passenger car presented as a gift to the King of Egypt
1979
September
Distributor agreement signed with Toyota Egypt
1983
April
Proposal submitted for the plan to domestically produce compact commercial vehicles in Egypt
April
Proposal submitted for the plan to domestically produce compact passenger cars and commercial vehicles in Algeria
1984
July
Proposal submitted for the plan to domestically produce compact passenger cars in Egypt
1986
August
Import of CBUs generally prohibited in Egypt
1993
June
Algeria distributor (JALCO) established
1994
March
Algeria distributor (THIA) established
1995
May
ALJ purchased Morocco distributor
1996
March
Ceremony held to mark opening of TOYOTA DU MAROC
2001
March
Algeria distributor (THIA) placed under umbrella of JALCO
2004
January
JALCO renamed Toyota Algeria
2010
January
Libya distributor established
October
CKD production of the Fortuner in Egypt announced

East Central Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Uganda, Eritrea, Rwanda

Year
Month
Events
1957
April
Exports to Ethiopia commenced with 12 vehicles including the Crown
1963
October
Crown displayed at the Royal Show in Kenya
November
Distributor agreement signed with Westland Motors (later called Motor Market) in Kenya
1977

August
Stout and Toyota Truck (DA116) assembly commenced by Associated Vehicle Assemblers in Kenya
September
Land Cruiser assembly commenced by Associated Vehicle Assemblers in Kenya
1994
January
Kenya Training Center established
1997
February
New distributor established in Eritrea
1998
April
New distributor established in Rwanda
1999
March
TEAL, a distributor in Kenya, established
2001
May
TEAL made a wholly-owned subsidiary of TTC through the latter's acquisition of Lonrho
2003
May
Mauritius operations transferred to Toyota Tsusho Corporation
2005
January
Uganda distributor made independent by Kenya distributor (wholly-owned by Toyota Tsusho Corporation)
2006
January
Investment made in TOYOTA MAURITIUS by Toyota Tsusho Corporation (joint investment with Bee Chand)

West Africa

Nigeria

Year
Month
Events
1959
February
Exports to Nigeria commenced with four Land Cruisers
1968
October
Distributor agreement signed with R.T. Briscoe
1976
May
Proposal for compact passenger car assembly plan submitted
1977
April
Agreement signed with four new distributors in accordance with the government domestication policy
1978
April
Distributors conference held in Japan
1981
January
Proposal submitted for the plan to domestically produce compact passenger cars
1982
August
Lagos Representative Office opened (closed in June 1985)
1983
January
Import of CBUs generally prohibited
1996
July
Toyota Nigeria established, existing distributors made into dealers
2004
September
Toyota Nigeria invested in by Sumitomo Corporation (26% stake)

Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Cote d'Ivoire, etc.

Year
Month
Events
1960
January
Exports to Cameroon commenced with four Land Cruisers
1969
July
Corona assembly commenced in Ghana by Fertile Vehicle Assemblies (nationalized in August 1978)
July
Distributor agreement signed with Premoto in Cote d'Ivoire
1974
July
Distributor agreement signed with CAMI in Cameroon
1987
November
Comoros distributor established
1988
April
Mauritania distributor established
1989
April
Guinea distributor established
1993
July
Cape Verde distributor established
1995
April
Gabon parent company changed from SCOA to SOGAFRIC
1998
January
New distributor established in Ghana (wholly-owned by Marubeni Corporation)
1999
May
Training center for French speaking countries established in Cameroon
2001
May
Operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo put under umbrella of CFAO
2006
April
Operations in Cote d'Ivoire put under umbrella of CFAO
2007
April
Operations in Guinea Bissau put under umbrella of CFAO
November
Operations in Guinea put under umbrella of CFAO

Other

Year
Month
Events
1973
April
Distributor agreements signed with Impocasa and Brandy Brothers in the Canary Islands
1979
March
Pan-Africa campaign launched
1980
December
First Distributor Conference for French speaking countries held in Cote d'Ivoire
1981
September
First African Product Conference held
November
First Distributor Conference for English speaking countries held in Nairobi
1986
June
First Africa Distributor Conference held in Cameroon
June
Cressida assembly commenced by WMI in Zimbabwe
1991
January
Direct sales for U.N. operations transferred to Africa Division
1994
January
Distributors in Canary Islands integrated
1995
August
Investment made in Toyota Canarias (capital investment made by Sumitomo Corporation)
1997
January
Sales and marketing operations centered in east Africa transferred to Toyota Tsusho Corporation
1999
April
Agency agreement signed by TGS and TMME
2005
January
Agency agreement under CFAO umbrella signed with SFCE
2009
February
South Africa Representative Office opened

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