Porsche plans to enter 15 new countries by 2020

October 17, 2013: Porsche will look to enter 15 new countries, with a special focus on those in North Africa, by 2020. That's according to global sales boss Bernhard Maier, who told Bloomberg the company is looking at markets "where we have not been in yet".

In particular, Porsche is believed to have placed a large focus on Africa. Although the company already has interests in part of the continent, it's understood that Porsche sees Africa as a large area of opportunity. "As it stands we've already got an Asia-Pacific region and a Middle East region that covers South Africa and the Indian sub-continent. Parts of North Africa already come under Porsche in France's jurisdiction; Morocco for instance. There is some representation already," a spokesman told Autocar.

The company's Macan and Cayenne SUVs are the products most likely to do well in those markets, with Maier noting the Macan in particular would be used to "better exploit" any opportunties. Porsche also notes that some countries won't be ready for its traditional sports car offering "A lot of the newer markets [aren't ready], where there's a shorter time for people to create a fascination with driving for driving's sake. There isn't such a sports car mentality."

That said, Maier is also keen for Porsche to keep developing its 911 and maintain a focus on the sports car market "What sits at the core is our 911. We’re extremely successful and delighted that our customers have accepted Cayenne, Panamera, and our sports cars already, but we would like to institutionalise the sales of 911 stronger," he told Bloomberg.

Porsche is just one of a number of manufacturers eyeing up opportunities in Africa. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is also preparing to assemble some of its vehicles in Nigeria. The group recently signed a preliminary deal to increase capacity at a Stallion Group-owned site to 45,000 units, which would include cars, light commercial vehicles and vans. Stallion Group already acts as Nissan's exclusive distributor in the country.

Boss Carlos Ghosn said the group is "preparing to make Nigeria a significant manufacturing hub in Africa. As the first-mover in Nigeria, we are positioned for the long-term growth of this market and across the broader continent."

The first vehicle to be built at the site will be the Nissan Patrol SUV, which is due to launch in 2014.

Internet reports indicate that alongside the new vehicles both brands plan to bring to the African market will be the Datsun Go MPV, which was revealed earlier this year in Indonesia.

DARREN MOSS, AUTOCAR UK