Mustek Electronics, South Africa`s largest manufacturer of systems, have committed themselves to the investment in the rest of the African continent. Mecer have invested in a long term plan to establish an aggressive African Reseller Channel, through which Mecer can drive the sale and support of their products.
As Mecer is the number one selling PC brand in South Africa, part of their vision is to make Mecer the number one selling brand in Africa, so says Brett Stevens, sales executive for Mustek`s export division. "Individual needs of each African market have been identified, and structures have already been put into place to ensure that Mecer products have local representation and local support mechanisms."
Many African resellers are making use of the e-commerce system which is presently up and running, the system reduces the amount of time to check stock levels, pricing and order tracking. The bulk of Mecer orders are processed and dispatched on the same day ensuring efficient lead times.
In order to ensure the integrity of the Mecer brand being maintained, Mecer Authorised Partners (MAP) have been appointed. The MAP program requires that resellers undergo Technical Certification Training on Mecer products and hold sufficient spare parts for use in effecting "in market" repairs and support. Ensuring that the local market will be made up of certified dealers, offering the best support and back-up available.
Lead times on orders requiring local manufacture at Mustek`s head office have been reduced to less than three days, thanks to the logistical muscle and expertise of the Mustek group. Stevens, also states that as they have a presence in seven of their twelve target markets they expect to have coverage in the other five by January 2001.
Close relationships within the government, corporate and parastatal sector have been forged, ensuring that Mecer continues to drive further into the African market. Microsoft, Epson, Accton, Verbatim and Posiflex are among the other Mustek partners that will be working closely alongside Mecer in the investment of an African Reseller Channel.
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