African automotive brands are not widespread worldwide, but it cannot be said that there is no automotive industry on the continent. Indeed, there is little experience with car design in Africa. However, this does not mean that all African automakers are subsidiaries or inconspicuous small businesses. The following 12 companies and their logos clearly show that the African car industry has a rich history and a modern presence.
Mobius
This car manufacturer produces two SUV models. These vehicles are what Africa needs for its off-road terrain. However, these vehicles are quite expensive. We can say that for the local population, they are a real luxury.
If we analyze the brand’s logo, we will see a Möbius strip. It is depicted with three corners and in dark gray. This emblem looks laconic and effective. Its outlines convey the rigor, cogency, and solidity characteristic of these SUVs.
The company itself is quite young. It has been present in the market since 2010. However, the company’s confident position today gives us good prospects. At least, the vehicles offered by the African manufacturer to its customers are well-adapted to the continent’s landscape.
Saroukh El-Jamahiriya
Here, we are talking about a prototype Libyan car that was introduced in 2009. The car was planned as a luxury limousine. It was to decorate an event, such as the 30th anniversary celebration of the Libyan revolution.
The car’s color scheme was not chosen by accident, as green is associated with the mentioned revolutionary events. However, the production was not a success. It simply failed, as it was not well thought out.
At the same time, the crest-like logo was included here because it is a part of history. The eagle on the logo looks very confident. The emblem’s strong gold hue suggests it was intended as a prestige product for status buyers. It’s a pity that all this remained only at the level of grandiose ideas.
Proforce
The story of this manufacturer is much more optimistic, as it continues to operate in its industry today. Founded in 2008, the company has significantly increased its turnover and can provide its target audience with a highly in-demand product.
Proforce specializes in producing protected and armored vehicles. The range includes both civilian and military vehicles. In short, the range is extensive and interesting, so buyers can choose what they need.
The company’s logo uses a combination of burgundy and gray colors. Such a color solution looks contrasting yet quite restrained.
The stylization of the second letter, “o,” evokes a target. This may suggest that the company has met its target audience’s requests and offers the cars they demand.
Kantanka
The company with such a well-known, recognizable name is based in Ghana. It was founded in 1994. Consequently, its path in the industry is somewhat more solid than that of the competitors discussed above.
Despite the company not boasting any impressive in-house developments, its market stability and sustainability are driven by one key conscious factor. The company specializes in assembling cars from other brands. Basically, we are talking about Chinese enterprises.
Such a system of cooperation has enabled “Kantanka” to achieve steady, consistent development. And there is nothing strange about this, since the company does not risk-test developments and takes what has already been tested to production.
The model range of produced cars is quite wide. It includes both luxury SUVs, practical trucks, and base sedans popular in the mass-market segment. In short, the model range is extensive, interesting, and diverse.
By the way, engineers at the “Kantanka” brand have developed a worthy car themselves. This is an SUV, Otumfuo.
The company logo features a star in a circular frame and the brand name on a blue background. For the main elements of the composition, a metallic color is used. The use of this shade in automotive brands’ visual identity is a fairly common technique. In principle, such a color solution is associated with the automotive industry. The star can hint at the high quality and prestige of manufactured cars; besides, it looks organically blue against the background. In addition, the blue color evokes certain associations with the seriousness and thoughtfulness of the business approach.
Wallys
This manufacturer, registered in Tunisia, entered its market segment in 2006. It specializes in off-road vehicles. If we analyze this fact and compare it with the descriptions of the several companies discussed above, we can notice a trend. African automakers are trying to produce vehicles that are practical and suited to the continent’s real landscape.
The ‘Wallys’ manufacturer is small-scale. Simply put, this means the company produces only a few hundred cars per year. Nevertheless, its stable market position indicates that the company understands and addresses its target audience’s needs.
As in the previous case, the brand’s emblem features a combination of metallic and blue shades. The metallic color is chosen for the emblem itself, and blue for the company name below it. The emblem itself is quite laconic, clear, and, at the same time, relevant. We see a large, capitalized “W” in the brand name.
Menara
If we look at this company’s “age” in the global automotive industry, it is quite young. But compared with the previous examples, Menara can be considered a real veteran of its industry, having been founded in 1972.
Most of this manufacturer’s model range consists of retro cars. The company’s model range is quite modest. As for the brand’s flagship cars in its production lineup, there is only the Menara WSC. Nevertheless, this Casablanca-inspired car is luxurious and prestigious.
The company’s logo features a stylish combination of metallic hues and gold. Much has already been said about the former in the above examples. Let’s analyze its combination with gold color in more detail. Here, the typical automotive color scheme is supplemented with notes of luxury and chic. This enhances the brand’s visual image with greater authenticity and evokes associations with prestige.
The gold letter “M” is in a square silver frame with embossed corners. The wings diverge from the center of the composition, hinting at the car’s speed and dynamism on the road. In a word, the logo looks luxurious, solid, and convincing.
Kiira
This automobile brand comes from Uganda. Its history began relatively recently, in 2014. The company was created at the government’s initiative. Its specialization is bus production. However, within the manufacturer’s range, there are also several standard car models.
The company’s history and origin explain the logo’s stylistics quite well. The colors of Uganda are used in the emblem, and the national bird of this state is depicted inside the logo.
Let’s assume you will move away from such a deep analysis and evaluate the logo only from a visual perspective. In this case, it looks bright enough to be memorable, recognizable, and expressive.
Laraki
This car manufacturer was founded in 1999 and is based in Morocco. Despite the company’s model range being quite modest, the quality of its cars is reliable enough to give it confidence in the automobile market on its continent.
The company’s model range is based on fast sports cars. Regarding the production process, it is worth noting that it almost always uses foreign-made engines.
The company’s emblem features a wing within a circular frame. One sharp end of the wing extends to the border of the frame. As for the color scheme, it combines a metallic shade and black. The emblem looks traditional for its industry. It is credible, concrete, and clear in its symbolism, which is important for a company that uses its logo to communicate with its customers.
Birkin
The South African company specializing in sports car production was founded in 1982. The manufacturer is a small-scale manufacturer. Nevertheless, the small scale of production does not prevent the company from confidently working in its niche and producing quality cars.
The model range is based on variations of old Lotus models. Modifications of such cars are few, but they are in demand among their buyers. For most of these cars, the basis was the Lotus Super 7.
It is worth noting that since the 1980s, the company has been gradually expanding. Therefore, it produces cars not only for sale on the African continent but also for export to other countries. For example, these cars are sold through dealers in Japan, the United States, and European countries.
In July 2013, the brand’s lineup received a wide-body version. The car became 3 inches longer and 4 inches wider.
The company logo combines metallic and black colors. Inside the round emblem on a black background, you can see a triangle with rounded corners. Inside, it is a stylized capital letter of this company’s name. These are traditional motifs in the logo’s stylistics, as evidenced by the color scheme in the logo examples above. This visual decision is justified because it is readable and indicates which field the logo belongs to.
Harper
This South African company was established in Botswana. This event took place in 2004. Subsequently, the production facilities were moved to South Africa. Although this brand’s cars can be used in urban conditions, they were originally designed for racing. The model range is based on sports racing cars.
The model’s specific range is reflected in the logo. Despite its minimalist motifs, the slanted font suggests a speedy connection, which is relevant to sports cars. At the same time, the black font looks solid, convincing, and laconic. This is a good solution for a company that wants to hint at a serious approach to its business.
Paramount
Speaking of this company, it is worth noting that it focuses on the history of the African automotive industry rather than its modernity. The peak of production came in the 50s of the last century. It produced small 2-seater roadsters.
The company failed to stand out in terms of production scale. In the product line, there were only two car models, and fewer than 100 units were produced.
The logo uses white, red, and black. The latter is barely visible and is used as an outline for the main composition. Inside the image of mountains with two peaks, there is a slanted capital letter from the brand name. And in the lower part, the company’s full name. The emblem looks quite bright and spectacular. It is only a pity that it can be analyzed only in the context of history, not the present of the automotive industry in Africa.
Bailey
This South African OEM has a more optimistic history than the previous company in this selection. Bailey was founded in 2003. The peculiarity of the company’s production is that it does not manufacture its own cars. It is focused on creating replicas of classic racing cars. For example, these are the Rover P4 and the Ford GT40. By the way, the company produces both cars and spare parts for them.
The logo of this company stands out among other automotive company logos. It looks bright and cheerful. Inside the round emblem, you can see a whole composition for which many colors are used.
Around the perimeter, on a white background, is the company’s name. In the central part, the road is set against a picturesque natural landscape. This combination visually distinguishes this logo from others. And although it is far from minimalism, the composition does not look cluttered or overloaded with visual accents. It looks quite stylish and harmonious.
IVEMA
This South American company, specializing in military equipment, was founded in the 90s of the last century. The production line includes both combat vehicles and armored tactical vehicles. The manufacturer refers to small-scale production. Every year, it produces hundreds of vehicles. Nevertheless, the company is stable in its field and produces vehicles that are in moderate demand.
The company’s logo is minimalist. The straight black font gives it a sense of concreteness. The light green element at the top of the logo somewhat smooths out the overall composition, making the color scheme feel fresher.
URI
In this case, we are also talking about a South African company. The company was founded in 1995. The production line is based on practical off-road vehicles applicable to local conditions. The company’s model range also includes pickup trucks.
The symmetrical visual composition of bright yellow forms the basis of the logo. Below it is the company name, which uses a straight black font.
Such was the selection of logos of African automobile manufacturers. Despite some of them having already ceased to exist, their emblems have become part of history. And many companies, despite their small production volumes, have a strong foothold in their industries.
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