"We felt that it is essential to develop and establish potential new markets to enable Vuka to continue its growth and to broaden our brand footprint," said Lamprecht. Vuka MD Thinus Lamprecht said in a statement that the company foresees a large and potentially lucrative market in the African continent, since it offers a viable transport solution to people looking for ways to ease the effects of the current global economic downturn. Mobile provider MTN, brewing giant SABMiller, fast food chains Nando's and Steers, and retailers Woolworths and Shoprite Checkers, among others, have all set up shop in other African countries. Vuka seeks to follow the example set by a number of South African retailers and manufacturers, who have moved out across the continent. The first outlet to sell Vuka scooters beyond South African borders opened in Maputo in June 2009.
All vehicles are tested before moving on to the retailer, and the mostly manual assembly and testing processes have enabled Vuka to create a number of new jobs. Scooters arrive in a semi-disassembled state in crates from China, and after months of perfecting the process, assembly staff can put a vehicle together in less than an hour. Vuka evaluated 14 Chinese scooter models before deciding on the right models for the South African climate. The stylish scooters are manufactured in China but assembled in South Africa and have been developed for South African conditions, with features such as increased legroom when compared with Chinese scooters. Launched in 2006, the nippy Vuka (isiZulu, meaning "wake up" or "get moving") two-wheelers have become increasingly popular, especially in light of the unpredictable cost of fuel, high interest rates, and often unbearable congestion of South Africa's urban roads. The company has started marketing its motor scooters in Mozambique.
Not content with revolutionising the way South Africans commute, locally developed Vuka Scuta is now branching out into other Southern African countries.
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