The team’s extensive knowledge of John Deere will enable it to build effective marketing programmes to leverage the strength of the John Deere brand, and work closely with existing and potential customers in both markets.

David Kelder, Head of Agriculture and Construction Business at Tata Africa Holdings, will head up the team. His knowledge of the full range of John Deere products is vast, having been associated with the brand for more than two decades. David, who was recently awarded the Tata Managing Director’s Award in recognition of his outstanding performance, has a wealth of experience in Africa and is perfectly placed to lead and grow the team. He will be based at Tata Africa Head Office in South Africa and will regularly visit the markets in his quest to grow and entrench the brand in Africa.

“I look forward to working with our customers and partners in executing our growth strategy in Nigeria and Ghana, to create further value for all our stakeholders. Our strategy will allow us to be nimbler and pursue new opportunities in a way that ultimately meets our customers’ needs,” says Kelder.

“We will be selling and supporting the full line of John Deere construction and forestry equipment, including the iconic John Deere excavators, a first for Africa.” continues Kelder.

Supporting David is Dirk Meiring, who has been appointed as the John Deere Construction and Forestry Product Specialist at Tata Africa. This appointment will further increase the focus on achieving Tata’s in-market goals and efficiencies for the John Deere brand, as Dirk has extensive experience in this sector in different African markets.

Tata Africa Service Nigeria Limited:

Okoli Chijioke has been appointed as the Country Manager, Agriculture and Construction Equipment Division, Tata Africa Nigeria. In his previous position at Tata Africa Nigeria, Okoli progressively grew the John Deere business in Nigeria to become the market leader. He attests this positive growth to having set clear goals and objectives for the business and looks forward to a continued growth in market share.

Okoli will be supported by Eben du Toit, Service Manager, Agriculture and Construction Equipment Division, Tata Africa Nigeria. Eben will be responsible for the servicing and maintenance of customers’ equipment in the field as well as managing the workshops. Eben has extensive experience in this area and his appointment is an asset to this division.

Tata Africa Holdings (Ghana) Limited:

Based in Accra, the Ghana operation will be led by Aline Badr. Aline has worked on the Tata Africa business in this market for the past three years, growing and developing the business to the successful enterprise it is today. Her new role as Business Manager, Agriculture and Construction Equipment Division of Tata Africa in Ghana, will see her aggressively focusing on increasing product sales of John Deere equipment, supporting dealer partners, continuing to build close relationships with government bodies, key stakeholders and global players in the agriculture industry, mobilising private sector investment in Ghanaian agriculture and improving all areas of the operation.

 “I am happy to welcome these new members to the Tata team. Their contributions in terms of varying backgrounds, capabilities and perspectives, and their wealth of experience, promise to bring additional strengths to the Tata Africa business. I’m excited about the dynamic plans and strategies David Kelder and his team have developed to entrench the John Deere brand in Africa for future growth,” says Len Brand, CEO at TATA Africa Holdings and Head of Distribution Vertical at TATA International.

“The addition of John Deere construction equipment to our product offering will further enhance Tata’s ability to fully meet customer needs in both countries, where the company enjoys a solid reputation of supporting John Deere products sold in Africa.

“Nigeria and Ghana’s agricultural, manufacturing, mining and quarrying sectors have played a continuous and significant role in the development of these countries’ economies. We are looking forward to playing a part in the further development of these economies,” comments Brand.

“Tata Africa is recognised as a leading company to be aligned with in Africa, not only as a distributor or dealer for OEMs, but also as a premium supplier with dedicated aftermarket support and service to all our retail customers. We are committed to the company’s vision of building and sustaining relationships with cooperation and trust,” concludes Brand.

The two companies both boast a long and proud history. John Deere is a leading manufacturer of agriculture, construction and forestry equipment with manufacturing facilities worldwide, while Tata has been operating successfully on the continent for more than 40 years.