Published: 16 August 2017

A LEADING regional automotive spare parts retailer, Motovac Group, will open its second branch in Bulawayo tomorrow creating an additional 18 new jobs.

The motor spares retailer set up its first base in the country in September last year when it opened a branch at No 128B Corner 13th Avenue and Fife Street in the city.

The automotive spare parts business is jointly owned by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko's family and the Patel family of Botswana.

The VP's family is also a key shareholder in the regional retail chain stores, Choppies Enterprises, which has a footprint across Zimbabwe.

In an interview yesterday, Motovac director Mr Siqokoqela Mphoko said:

"We are opening our second branch in the city on Thursday. We are taking over the premises at corner Hebert Chitepo Street/4th Avenue where OK Zimbabwe used to operate from.

"As a family and our partners, we feel Bulawayo must come through in business and thus we are doing our part by opening businesses on premises that were closed by another business.

"The opening of the new branch will see the creation of additional 18 jobs by Motovac, our first branch also employs 18 people including women."

The Botswana headquartered company offers 60 000 product lines from different manufacturers, which are now available in Zimbabwe.

Its range of products includes body panels, engine parts, filters, paints, bearings, suspension parts, lamps and accessories, borehole diesel engines among other spares.

"Motovac deals directly with manufacturers of different parts and thus we offer the market genuine spare parts. The customer is king and we are where we are because of the consumers. We also strive to bring excellence by ensuring that we supply the market with genuine spare parts and the products are tested for quality at the points of manufacturing by Bureau Veritas. Our customers are also assured of product quality in terms of warranties and guaranties," said Mr Mphoko.

He said plans were in the pipeline to open another branch in the western areas of the city before Motovac considers spreading its tentacles to other parts of the country.

"We also have plans to spread our wings to the northern parts of the country and by end of next year, we should have opened another branch in Harare," Mr Mphoko said.

Motovac is one of the largest importers and distributors of automotive spare parts in Botswana with 18 branches in the neighbouring country.

The company has 12 branches in Namibia and two in Mozambique.

It offers a wide range of vehicle spare parts and quality customer service to the wholesale, retail and government markets.

Motovac, which started business in 1983 in Lobatse, Botswana with a handful of employees, now boasts of more than 400 workers with operations spread all over Botswana and partner companies in South Africa, Namibia and the United Kingdom.

The Mphoko family has become one of the most active economic players in Zimbabwe in the past few years.

It has championed the establishment of Bulawayo-headquartered Choppies Zimbabwe, which now boasts of 33 branches countrywide having been established about four years ago. It employs over 2 000 people.
- chronicle