West Africa: "The right time to lay the foundation stone of a structured after-sales service"

“It’s exciting to explore these markets, which are ripe for development,” says Luc Azilinon, whose team has opened three AutoSP workshops in Cotonou, Benin’s economic capital. “Our workshops operate according to the highest international standards: DMS, technical data access systems, remote assistance, diagnostic tools, and cutting-edge equipment. This is essential given that we primarily service recent vehicles from corporate and government fleets.” Luc Azilinon notably contributed to the development of Autodistribution’s electronic catalogue in France. This business model works, Azilinon explains, because while the share of recent vehicles in Benin remains low, it is growing. These vehicles have maintenance needs that traditional workshops struggle to meet. By early 2025, AutoSP plans to expand into Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in partnership with an oil company, with further deployments across other West African capitals to follow.

Launching such ventures is a gamble, given the many challenges posed by an underdeveloped ecosystem. For instance, assembling teams of ten technicians per workshop is a daunting task. “It’s complicated, but we’re addressing this by supporting a training centre that can train up to forty technicians annually,” says Azilinon. Spare parts supply is another hurdle, exacerbated by the absence of premium supply chains. This forces workshops to rely on low-quality parts, which fail to meet manufacturers’ recommendations or customer expectations for quality. “Our clients are willing to pay for premium parts,” insists Azilinon. “We’re working with European partners to establish supply chains, but we are far from meeting demand.” As the head of a multi-brand workshop network he recognizes that the dominance of Asian brands—70% of Benin’s parc consists of Toyota, Hyundai, and Suzuki vehicles, alongside a few German luxury brands—does provide some logistical advantages. “Local access to Asian brands and fast-flow logistics for others are crucial. While customers are accustomed to longer lead times, efficient logistics are essential for maintaining workshop profitability.”

Luc Azilinon expresses frustration at the chaotic growth of the African after-sales ecosystem. “Our problems come, apart from a limited parc of recent vehicles, from the absence of manufacturers and their networks in these regions. This results in multi-brand networks developing haphazardly. Premium suppliers often neglect Africa, prioritising South America for diversification instead.” He argues that it is a mistake to think the African market does not need Western parts and equipment manufacturers. “We can no longer consider after-sales through the sole prism of a parc with an average age of between 16 and 20 years. Africa’s vehicle parc is getting younger thanks to fleet growth and requires maintenance beyond what low-cost parts can offer. Premium suppliers could find immediate opportunities in emerging ecosystems with high-quality demands.”

Luc Azilinon believes now is the ideal time to lay the foundation stone and establish structured, quality after-sales services in Africa. And this is all the more feasible since it is not necessary to have an extensive network. “There’s no need for extensive networks; focusing on capital cities with strong growth potential is sufficient. But to succeed, we must propose highly tailored offerings to meet motorists’ specific needs or miss out on potential business.” There is no question of simply copying Western models.