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After reading some of the comments, the next questions, why are automakers not building plants in Africa? Cheap labor force, cheap land, probably needs educatio

After reading some of the comments, the next questions, why are automakers not building plants in Africa? Cheap labor force, cheap land, probably needs education and training. China is courting Africa, is the US?

jklinger410 2y ago
France has dibs on Africa. Plus, the American manufacturing industry was our gift to and remains our primary bargaining chip with CCP. We wouldn't dare give it to anyone else.
- selimthegrim 2y ago
  Tell Mali and Niger that
HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago
Government stability? Supply chain? Cost of delivery? Just the first few guesses off the top of my head. > probably needs education and training That's not helping!
Dracophoenix 2y ago
Firstly, Africa is a continent, not a sovereign nation or a monolithic politico-economic bloc. Cars aren't manufactured in every country in Asia, but primarily East and Southeast Asia. Asia proper extends from Anatolia to the Bering Strait, where many countries in between have no automobile industry whether domestic or foreign. Secondly, there are plenty of reasons to avoid doing business in the many African countries, not the least of which are political instability, low literacy rates of the native populations, unfavorable and inconsistent economic policies (tariffs, board membership requirements, etc.), as well as inefficient and corrupt bureaucracies. That last one can create legal issues for you if you run a business incorporated in the US.
kylehotchkiss 2y ago
Of all the places in the world to build factories, you choose Africa? Not India, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia? Nothing personal against Africa but there are just a lot of options that aren't china with better industrial policy and want to build stuff to export.
kjkjadksj 2y ago
US automarket is not a free market is why. Protective tariffs and other taxes or else we’d already be driving something hammered out of bangladesh as of decades ago.
bitsage 2y ago
Recent Japanese and Chinese automotive plants have gone up in the more stable countries on the continent such as Ghana, Egypt, and Kenya, but I assume this production will all be for local consumption.
rantingdemon 2y ago
In South Africa as far as I know we are already building cars for export markets. This being - VW - Mercedes Benz - Ford - BMW (I think there may be a couple more). Point being is that there are already some plants in "Africa".

jklinger410 2y ago

France has dibs on Africa. Plus, the American manufacturing industry was our gift to and remains our primary bargaining chip with CCP. We wouldn't dare give it to anyone else.

selimthegrim 2y ago
Tell Mali and Niger that

HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago

Government stability? Supply chain? Cost of delivery? Just the first few guesses off the top of my head. > probably needs education and training That's not helping!

Dracophoenix 2y ago

Firstly, Africa is a continent, not a sovereign nation or a monolithic politico-economic bloc. Cars aren't manufactured in every country in Asia, but primarily East and Southeast Asia. Asia proper extends from Anatolia to the Bering Strait, where many countries in between have no automobile industry whether domestic or foreign. Secondly, there are plenty of reasons to avoid doing business in the many African countries, not the least of which are political instability, low literacy rates of the native populations, unfavorable and inconsistent economic policies (tariffs, board membership requirements, etc.), as well as inefficient and corrupt bureaucracies. That last one can create legal issues for you if you run a business incorporated in the US.

kylehotchkiss 2y ago

Of all the places in the world to build factories, you choose Africa? Not India, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia? Nothing personal against Africa but there are just a lot of options that aren't china with better industrial policy and want to build stuff to export.

kjkjadksj 2y ago

US automarket is not a free market is why. Protective tariffs and other taxes or else we’d already be driving something hammered out of bangladesh as of decades ago.

bitsage 2y ago

Recent Japanese and Chinese automotive plants have gone up in the more stable countries on the continent such as Ghana, Egypt, and Kenya, but I assume this production will all be for local consumption.

rantingdemon 2y ago

In South Africa as far as I know we are already building cars for export markets. This being - VW - Mercedes Benz - Ford - BMW (I think there may be a couple more). Point being is that there are already some plants in "Africa".