In a significant move to consolidate its position in the African automotive market, Africar Group, the company operating the rapidly growing used car marketplace AUTO24.africa, has officially acquired Koto.ci. Koto.ci is a well-regarded digital platform in Côte d’Ivoire that specializes in providing price references and information for new vehicles.
This acquisition is a strategic step for Africar Group, which is building a comprehensive digital automotive ecosystem designed to serve African consumers throughout the entire vehicle ownership lifecycle. The company’s flagship platform, AUTO24.africa, already boasts a formidable presence on the continent, with active operations in five key markets: Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, and Rwanda. The platform’s credibility and expansion capabilities are significantly enhanced by the backing of Stellantis, one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers.
The integration of Koto.ci into the Africar Group portfolio is set to enrich its service offering substantially. While AUTO24.africa has focused on bringing trust and transparency to the used car segment, Koto.ci provides a critical entry point for consumers at the very beginning of their purchasing journey: the research phase for new cars. By incorporating a new vehicle pricing layer, Africar Group can now engage with potential buyers earlier, providing them with a complete market overview and positioning itself as an all-encompassing resource for automotive information.
Axel Peyriere, the Chief Executive Officer of AUTO24.africa, elaborated on the customer-centric vision driving this strategy. “We aim to support African car buyers throughout their entire journey – from research and comparison, to buying, financing, insuring, and now having full visibility on new car prices,” he stated.
This move effectively creates a seamless funnel, guiding a consumer from initial curiosity about new car prices to exploring certified pre-owned alternatives, and then facilitating the subsequent steps of the purchase and ownership process. It strengthens Africar Group’s ambition to become the definitive one-stop-shop for vehicle-related services on the continent as it continues its aggressive expansion.
