Mercedes-Benz Drives Into West Africa with New Truck Assembly in Senegal

Amongst car brands available on the African continent, the Mercedes-Benz name has become one of the shorthand for quality, well-engineered and the confidence to own the road.

Now, the German luxury automaker is ready to build that reputation closer to the people who buy it and is accelerating its African ambitions.

In a move that signals both ambition and intent, Daimler Truck, a division of Mercedes-Benz, is moving beyond showrooms into local manufacturing, with plans to establish a truck assembly plant in Senegal.

Formalised through a letter of intent, the project represents a three-way partnership between the Senegalese government, Mercedes-Benz, and Global Truck Systems (GTS).

The announcement followed a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and a Mercedes Trucks delegation led by CEO Franziska Cusumano, underlining the political and corporate commitment behind the venture.

Initially, the facility will focus on assembling military vehicles for the Senegalese armed forces before gradually introducing civilian trucks and other commercial models.

“An initial assembly line will be operational by the end of 2025. Several hundred jobs will be created during the initial phase, with a target of several thousand in the long term,” said Jan Weber, Commercial Director of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, in an interview with national broadcaster RTS.

To make this possible, Mercedes-Benz will supply Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits for various truck models, enabling local assembly while maintaining the brand’s manufacturing standards.

This approach is expected to boost Senegal’s industrial capacity, reduce reliance on imports. It’s a neat fit with Dakar’s own industrialisation strategy to bring in foreign capital, create skilled jobs, and grow the domestic supply chain.

The move is part of a broader African strategy for Mercedes-Benz, which already commands a strong African footprint. South Africa is home to one of its largest assembly plants outside Germany, run by Daimler Truck Southern Africa in Pretoria.

In North Africa, it has also built a solid presence through assembly plants and partnerships in Egypt and Algeria. Now, with infrastructure development and regional trade integration driving demand for heavy-duty vehicles, West Africa has emerged as the next strategic frontier.

This manufacturing push also complements Mercedes-Benz’s existing retail presence. In January 2023, CFAO Mobility, a long-time partner, extended distribution for the brand into Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Senegal, doubling its African dealership coverage. These markets joined an existing network in Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Madagascar, offering a full range of sedans, SUVs, vans, and after-sales services.

By expanding both production and distribution in tandem, Mercedes-Benz is ensuring that locally assembled vehicles will have a strong route to market. In other words, when the trucks start rolling out of Dakar, the market will already be primed.

Senegal’s strategic location is part of the appeal. Dakar’s deep-water port is one of West Africa’s busiest logistics hubs, linking the region to global shipping routes. This makes it an ideal base for regional automotive production

From here, the brand can serve local markets and the broader ECOWAS region while creating ripple effects in ancillary industries, from logistics to training institutes. Daimler Truck has promised “comprehensive quality assurance and technology transfer” so that every vehicle meets the same standard as those rolling off lines in Europe.

As infrastructure and logistics networks expand across West Africa, demand for heavy-duty trucks is set to rise sharply. By producing vehicles locally, Mercedes-Benz aims not only to meet that demand but also to anchor its position in one of Africa’s most dynamic economic regions.

For the German marque, the move represents a long-term investment in Africa’s mobility future; for Senegal, it is a step toward becoming a manufacturing hub that creates jobs, strengthens the economy, and secures a role in the continent’s evolving automotive landscape.