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Canon re-enters Kenyan market

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 3 – Kenya has once again attracted another multi-national company with the re-entry of Japanese imaging and business solutions brand Canon.

After a decision made by top Canon management, supervision of operations switched hands from Canon South Africa to Canon Middle East (CME) that will strengthen the Brand’s presence in the region.

“The market of East and Central Africa is heavily influenced by what happens in the Middle East. If try to run this market from Canon South Africa, Kenyan entrepreneurs and dealers will continue getting their merchandise from Dubai. So it makes sense for Canon Middle East to take care of this market,” Canon Areas Sales Manager for East and Central Africa Thomas Gachiri said.

The management shift, Gachiri added will improve logistics that before would route Canon products through South Africa to be eventually marketed in Kenya.

With intentions to establish Kenya as the Canon hub for East and Central Africa, CME Deputy Managing Director Naoshi Yamada said the country’s improving business climate drew the company to the market.

“Kenya represents a key market for Canon as its consumer landscape is evolving and growing at a fast pace and indications are that this market has a substantial scope for sustained growth,” he said.

The brand’s strategy to enhance the delivery of support services to channel partners in the region has already established partnerships in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, Eritrea, Rwanda and Burundi.

In Kenya, Canon has partnered with Office Technologies, Machine Technologies and MFI that will have distribution, marketing and after sales rights to Canon products and solutions.

The Canon team started as early as July this year to lay down plans for its distribution channel strategy in the Kenyan market.

“Our target areas are the mass market, like the Tuskys and Nakumatts, the IT channel that sell our printers and then the consumer electronics where we will sell our cameras. So we’ve already segmented the market,” Gachiri said.

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Currently, Canon is leading in copier sales in East and Central Africa, a trend Gachiri says the company is looking to build on, moving forward.

CME today manages sales, marketing and technical support activities across 36 countries; in the Middle East and Africa.

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