Nigeria’s auto financing firm Autochek acquires Cheki Kenya and Uganda

Autochek has on Monday announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire ROAM Africa’s automotive marketplaces Cheki Kenya and Uganda. 

Autochek is an automotive technology company facilitating auto financing across Africa with operations in Nigeria and Ghana. The move to acquire Cheki Kenya and Uganda comes just one year after the company successfully acquired Cheki Nigeria and Ghana as part of its launch in West Africa.

The deal will be finalized within the following weeks and will see Cheki Kenya and Uganda’s operations integrate with the wider Autochek operations.

Launched in 2020, and backed by notable investors such as  TLcom Capital and 4DX Ventures, Autochek combines technology, underpinned by data analytics to deepen auto finance penetration across the continent. The company’s 360-degree automotive solution also provides a strong network of after-sales services that preserves and eases vehicle ownership experience across Africa.

The acquisition of East Africa’s leading online auto marketplace is the next step for Autochek as it expands its footprint in the region and continues its mission to provide seamless access to auto financing across the continent. Building on Cheki’s 10 years of experience, Autochek is set to introduce additional technology solutions that will integrate the auto ecosystem as well as increase market adoption for auto loan financing. As part of the agreement, ROAM Africa will transfer ownership and operational control to Autochek.

 “The acquisition of Cheki Kenya and Uganda is an important milestone for us, and we are excited to be working with ROAM Africa once again, building on their achievements over the past years. ROAM Africa has an unrivalled track record of operating and scaling some of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most innovative classified marketplaces and we look forward to leveraging on this solid business foundation” Etop Ikpe, Founder and CEO of Autochek, said while speaking on the acquisition.

Ikpe said Autochek’s mandate is to accelerate the ability of African consumers to access better quality and affordable vehicles by providing access to financing, while also derisking the auto lending process for financial institutions.

”We are long-time admirers and collaborators of the Cheki brand; following today’s news, we intend to provide even more trust and transparency in East Africa’s automotive sector, leveraging the unique networks we are now joining together,” he added.

Founded in 2010, Cheki Kenya has built a network of hundreds of dealers, more than 12,000 vehicles listed monthly and 700,000 monthly unique users on its platform with 80% plus year-on-year growth in the last two years.

Clemens Weitz, CEO of ROAM Africa, said, “Across the world, we see a new evolution of digital automotive platforms, requiring deep specialization. Specifically in Africa, we believe that Autochek is the one player with the best team and expertise to truly create a game-changing consumer experience. ”

“For ROAM Africa, this deal is more than a very good transaction: It unleashes even more focus on the strategic playbook for our core businesses. We have a clear strategy that will further strengthen our leading marketplaces and invest into innovative product solutions. The opportunity is now bigger than ever, since the pandemic has vastly accelerated digitization across the continent. In the last two years, our businesses recorded unprecedented growth. Thus, our commitment to connect Africans to opportunities remains strong.”

With credit penetration in Kenya at 27.5%, significantly higher than the West African market which stands at 5%, East Africa’s growing market is positioned as a key auto financing hub and Autochek is now strategically positioned to scale as it becomes a pan-African player.

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