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Tesla Inc. appears poised for its long-anticipated entry into Africa, with a new senior job posting strongly indicating that Morocco — not long-assumed contender South Africa — will host the company’s first structured operations on the continent.
Tesla Morocco was formally incorporated in May 2025 with initial capital of USD 2.75 million. This follows earlier groundwork that began in 2021, when Tesla installed its first hybrid superchargers in Casablanca and Tangier, later extending the network to Rabat, Fez, Marrakesh, and Agadir. The company has said its recently opened office in Casablanca’s Crystal Tower “positions Morocco as Tesla’s strategic hub for Africa and energy innovation.” A newly advertised role for a Country Sales & Delivery Lead based in Morocco reinforces expectations that the country will serve as Tesla’s first African commercial base.
The position is framed as a senior operational and commercial role, with responsibilities spanning national sales strategy, delivery logistics, growth targets, and representation before local authorities and partners. The move signals a deliberate market choice rather than exploratory recruitment. Morocco has strengthened its status as Africa’s leading automotive manufacturing hub, producing 559,645 vehicles in 2024 — a 5% annual increase — and expected to surpass 600,000 units in 2025. This contrasts with South Africa’s 5% production decline last year to 599,755 vehicles, despite its historically dominant position.
The country also hosts early-stage electric-vehicle assembly by Chinese and European companies, giving it a small but established EV production ecosystem. In comparison, South Africa — despite being Elon Musk’s birthplace — has yet to produce a fully electric vehicle, with the industry still geared toward internal-combustion and hybrid models.
Morocco’s strategic advantages include short shipping routes to Europe, lower logistics costs, and a pro-EV industrial policy featuring tax exemptions, reduced import duties, and a growing charging network already nearing 1,000 points nationwide. Analysts highlight that Morocco’s proximity to Europe and growing EV production of 40,000–50,000 units in 2024 give it a significant edge over South Africa, which has produced none.
While domestic EV demand in Morocco is still modest, it is expanding quickly and forecast to accelerate sharply in 2025. South Africa’s EV market, by contrast, continues to face deep structural obstacles — from Eskom’s power shortages and high import tariffs to a lack of consumer incentives — resulting in a year-on-year decline in EV sales.
Though Tesla has not formally confirmed Morocco as its African launch market, the new senior role aligns with the company’s typical pattern of entering regions only after meeting internal standards on EV readiness, charging infrastructure and market potential — areas where Morocco currently outperforms South Africa.
Industry reports note that Morocco’s EV rise is underpinned by roughly USD 10 billion in automotive and EV investment commitments, coupled with strong government incentives that have fueled both export growth and domestic appetite.
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https://trendsnafrica.com/morocco-aims-at-hitting-one-million-mark-in-ev-production-by-2025/
China’s BYD, Tesla’s largest global competitor, has pushed more aggressively across Africa, launching new models, expanding dealerships and planning 200–300 public chargers by 2026.