LEINFELDEN-ECHTERDINGEN/DAKAR (dpa-AFX) - Vehicle manufacturer Daimler Truck will have trucks from various Mercedes-Benz series assembled in Senegal, West Africa. The Swabian manufacturer is supporting the construction of an assembly plant in the West African country and will then deliver trucks in kit form, which will be reassembled there.
The plant will supply special vehicles for defense, disaster control, and municipal tasks for the Senegalese market. This will contribute to the establishment of locally based automotive production in West Africa and thus to development there, Daimler Truck added. The project is being coordinated closely with the German government.
The first trucks are scheduled to be delivered next year.
Another company will take over the construction and operation of the plant, for which it is entering into an agreement with the Senegalese government. The three partners signed a letter of intent in Senegal's capital, Dakar. Vehicles are scheduled to roll off the production line at the plant from 2026.
Daimler Truck currently has sites in South Africa and Kenya. Mercedes-Benz trucks are also assembled in South Africa using components supplied from Germany.
Senegal, located on the western tip of Africa, is a stable and peaceful democracy. The government is seeking investors to create jobs for its very young population of around 18 million. The World Bank predicts that the country, which recently began exporting oil and gas, will have the highest economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa at 7.9 percent in 2025./cpe/DP/stw
