A Decisive Leap: FAW’s Triumph in the South African Truck Market

In a bold move that transformed the landscape of South Africa’s heavy truck sector, Richard Leiter made a strategic investment in the relatively unknown Chinese truck manufacturer FAW back in 1994. Initially importing the first Jiefang CA141 truck, Leiter later evolved into an industrialist with a significant assembly plant in the Coega special economic zone. Over the years, FAW’s focus on affordability and durability, perfectly suited for the rugged African terrains, has propelled them to surpass renowned brands such as Toyota, Daimler, and Isuzu in South Africa’s heavy truck market. Meanwhile, in a divergent business trajectory, Massad Boulos, the Lebanese-American…