In the last two decades, Morocco has been able to grow its automotive industry from almost zero to becoming Africa’s number one exporter of cars. This growth has helped it to solidify its position as a key player in the world’s top automotive supply chains. The growth has also had a ripple effect on sectors related to the automotive industry, one of them being the car rental sector. As more vehicles are being manufactured locally, companies offering car rental Morocco are benefiting from an increased availability of vehicles, enhancing their services and in turn boosting the economy.
Now, when you want to rent a car in Marrakech from top automotive dealerships like OneClickDrive, it is highly likely that the car of your choice was made in Morocco!
Morocco’s automotive industry accounts for a whopping 22% of the country’s GDP and rakes in 14 billion dollars in exports. They can now produce up to 700,000 vehicles yearly from over 250 car and component manufacturing companies that operate within the country.
This North African nation currently tops the chart for cars supplied to Europe. They now supply more cars to Europe than India, Japan or China, according to an AP report. One of the many companies that helps to boost these numbers is Renault, the country’s largest private employer and French automaker. They export finished cars from their factory outside Tangiers and transport them all the way to European dealerships
The Emergence Of Tanger Med Port
One of the main pivotal factors in the explosive growth of Morocco’s automotive manufacturing industry is the development of the Tanger Med Port, which is the largest and most advanced port in Africa and the Mediterranean region. The Tanger Med Port serves as a key hub for automotive exportation by providing direct access to well over 170 other ports worldwide. The port has state-of-the-art infrastructure, one of which is its specialized terminals for vehicle export which has helped facilitate the easy movement of goods and enhanced the capacity of Morocco to export cars.
Strong Government Support And Vision
The Moroccan government’s commitment to increasing the capacity of the automotive sector has been straightforward and unwavering. The government has set ambitious goals to strengthen the industry through the Acceleration Plan of 2014 and the subsequent “Recovery Plan” of 2021. The main aim of these plans were to create jobs in the thousands, attract more foreign investors and increase vehicle production.
One of the steps the government has taken to this end is offering up to 35% subsidies to car manufacturers who put factories in locations outside of Tangiers. Tangiers is Renault’s current location where they produce Europe’s most popular passenger vehicle, the Dacia Sanderos, along with a number of others.
All in all, the industry employs 220,000 workers, which is a small but sizable fraction of the 200,000 agriculturally related jobs the country loses annually due to an ongoing six-year drought.
With all these successful campaigns under their belt, the Moroccan government is insistent on cementing the country’s role as Africa’s top car maker by lobbying for electric vehicle projects through policies put in place by the west to enhance EV production.
