April monthly special - 15% off ECOGEN generators and ABAC compressors

Now's your chance to buy your ECOGEN generator with a saving of 15%. Find out here how these generators can help you with load-shedding issues.

Also on offer at 15% discount are ABAC compressors. Ideal for filling tyres, cleaning engines, powering air tools, and any DIY or industrial compressed air need.

EXOGEN generators and ABAC compressors are available at this discount for 1 week only!

Offer starts the first Thursday of each month and is available at all participating Autoworld branches and Impala Service Stations while stocks last.

Autoworld awarded 'most valued distributor' certificate by GUD Filters

Autoworld is proud of its recent award from GUD filters - 'Most Valued Distributor'! G.U.D. Holdings is South Africa's leading automotive filter brand. GUD has been manufacturing filters since 1949, with production facilities in Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Cape Town and Zimbabwe. GUD places great emphasis on quality to exceed the requirements of all its market.

Autoworld participates in International Women’s Day event - by Margaret Mali

Autoworld staff at the International Women's Day event at Lusaka Showgrounds

8th March marks International Women’s Day. Each year Autoworld ladies participate in this colourful event. This year’s theme was ‘PLANET 50/50 BY 2030: STEP IT UP FOR GENDER EQUALITY’. Women from Government, private sector, NGOs and political parties, all convened at Lusaka Showground to celebrate the day.

His Excellency President Lungu graced the occasion and toured the various stands where organisations were showcasing their products and services. The President pointed out that International Women’s Day has been an opportunity to recognise, build and support the contribution of women as critical partners in national development since Zambia’s Independence in 1964.

There were also several women speakers: Prof Nkandu Luo the Gender Minister, Sara Longwe from NGOCC and Janet Rogan, United Nationals resident coordinator.

The nine Autoworld women, with four male counterparts, had a great time touring the stands and taking the opportunity to get to know each other better. It was lots of fun and many ‘selfies’ were taken. Our lovely outfits were complemented by all and we totally agreed!

We are looking forward to our participation next year when we plan to showcase more of our products. Special gratitude goes toward management for making it possible for us to attend this event. Many thanks also to the gentlemen who came to support us on the day.

A great day out for Autoworld staff at the International Women's Day event

December monthly special — 15% off all tyres and wipers

Wiper blades and the rainy season

December has brought in the long-awaited rains. That makes it time to change your wipers! Use our wiper blades and visibility tips and get 15% right now. Read the wiper blades article.

Tyres and the rainy season

Watch out for oil slicks on wet roads. Drive slowly in wet weather. To avoid skidding make sure your tyres have a good tread on them.

“To help you keep safe, we’re offering 15% off all our stock of tyres and wipers for the next 14 days! So visit your nearest Autoworld branch from today, the 3rd of December to benefit. And because it’s Christmas, the 15% off deal is valid for two whole weeks, until Wednesday 16th December 2015.”

Monthly Specials are available at all participating Autoworld branches as well as Impala Service Station while stocks last.

Plus get free wheel balancing when you buy tyres from us!

The giveaways don't stop! As well as 15% off tyres our team is also ready to give you free wheel balancing. Stay safe this rainy season with our tyre and wiper blades offer.

November monthly special — 15% off Castrol, Caltex, Shell and Engen lubricants

November engine oil deal — Castrol, Caltex, Shell and Engen lubricants

Autoworld holds a substantial stock of these engine oils. Find out about the importance of changing your vehicle's engine oil especially in hot weather in this article 'What's so cool about engine oil'.

“Get 15% off all engine oils by Castrol, Caltex, Shell and Engen. That makes it a great time to stock up on quality engine oil!”

The November Monthly Specials start today, Thursday 5th November. Get discounted prices on Autoworld’s full range of engine oils. The 15% off deal is valid for one week until Wednesday 11th November 2015.

Monthly Specials are available at all participating Autoworld branches as well as Impala Service Station while stocks last.

Staff News - competition winners

We recently held a couple of in-house promotions: Best Spanjaard Salesman and Hardest Working Warehouse Storeman. Here are the competition winners.

1. Competition winner - Best Spanjaard Salesman

In April 2015 salesmen at Autoworld and its sister company Impala Service Station were set a challenge – to sell as many Spanjaard products as they could! Just to make the challenge worth fighting for, Spanjaard South Africa generously donated a smart phone. With such a great prize up for grabs, conversation amongst the salesmen centred on the great Spanjaard product range stocked across all Autoworld branches, as well as Impala Service Station.

For a whole month every salesman put in their best effort marketing Spanjaard. However there could only be one winner! The “man with a plan” for the month of April was Mr Lloyd Simwami, a key salesman at Impala Service station.  Well done Lloyd for this remarkable achievement!

Lloyd has worked for Impala Service Station for the last 8 years. Before taking up the role of salesman Lloyd was an impressive fuel attendant, the first face you would see on the forecourt. Now he sells, and has acquired a great deal of knowledge on a huge range of products.

2. Competition winner - Hardest Working Warehouse Storeman

The Autoworld warehouse at Head Office recently held a competition to award the hardest working employee in that department over a 15 week period. The warehouse is the heart beat of Autoworld and it wasn’t easy to choose a winner as everyone works hard. We used the following criteria to choose the one who most deserved to be in first place:

1. Identify the fastest moving items in your product range and make sure these items are fully stocked at all times
2. Notice any items that are damaged or defaced and have them removed or replaced
3. Spot items with bar-code errors and correct them
4. Regularly keep management informed about your stock

The winner was Mambwe Chanda, who walked away with a Samsung S4mini cell phone. 2nd place was Musa Mumba; and 3rd place was Paul Machwani. Many congratulations to Mambwe.

So what do we know about the winner? Mambwe Chanda, nick named ‘the walking computer’, joined Autoworld in 2001. He enjoys being part of the team that ‘keeps Zambia moving’. On receiving his prize he thanked management for recognising the hard work he puts in. He warned the rest of the warehouse team that he is ready to compete and win everything in the near future!

Let’s not forget that without team work all this would not be possible.

Labour Day 2015 - Autoworld participates

Friday 1st May 2015 was Labour Day - an annual public holiday celebrating the achievements of workers. The Labour Day 2015 theme was “Promoting National Economic Growth through job creation, Free collective bargaining and respect for workers rights.” The president HE Edgar Lungu was present during the celebrations, announcing a lifting of the wage freeze to give encouragement to employees across the country. Autoworld was part of the procession, with a good number of its staff taking part.

Labour Day awards

At this year’s ceremony, two of Autoworld's members of staff, Timothy Samugule and Charles Bowa, were given awards in recognition of their hard work and achievements.

Timothy Samugule has been a tyre fitter at Autoworld for the last seventeen years. He joined Autoworld head office in 1998 and was the first tyre fitter at the fitment centre under Mr. Smith’s supervision.

Charles Bowa from Autoworld’s Downtown branch is the longest serving member of staff there. He is an assistant in the warehouse, in charge of rims and tyres.

Timothy and Charles each received a generator as a prize, and went home smiling.

Dialoguing to improve Marine Safety

A Marine Safety Dialogue Workshop was held on 23rd March 2015 at Sandy's Creations in Lusaka. The workshop was sponsored by Autoworld, who are stockists of an extensive range of automotive, marine and lifestyle products in Zambia. It was promoted by the Zambia Business in Development Facility (ZBiDF) and graced by Hon. Yamfwa Mukanga  representing Zambia’s Vice President, Hon. Inonge Wina. This Marine Safety workshop was organised as a response to the tragedy that happened on Independence Day 2014 when 22 school children and 3 adults drowned in Lake Kariba.

About ZBiDF

ZBiDF (the Zambia Business in Development Facility) is a multi-stakeholder platform comprising of champions from business, government, donors and civil society in Zambia. It is designed to engage business and facilitate dialogue and innovation, as well as directly support public-private partnership action on key business and development challenges. ZBiDF’s mission statement is to “systematically support and catalyse cross-sector partnerships in order to unleash the power and resources of business on poverty reduction and improve development outcomes, while achieving business benefits”.

Sector Representation and Composition

The workshop comprised of a cross sector meeting with representatives from government, business and development agencies:

1.  Government- Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply & Communication (Marine Department) and the Zambia Police Service (Marine Unit)
2. Business - Madison General Insurance, Autoworld (Z) Ltd, ZISC General Insurance and Aliboats
3. Development agencies - the African Management Services Company

Deliberations and Resolutions

The Marine Safety Dialogue Workshop discussed three presentations from different stakeholders as follows:

• Presentation 1: Safety of Navigation in Zambia - a presentation made by the Maritime Department at the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications (MTWSC). The department reiterated the importance of marine safety in stating that ‘Safety was not a Game of Chance, but an action that required deliberate interventions like the mandatory use of seat belts in our motor vehicles that enhance the safety of road users.’The department highlighted several factors that contribute to marine safety, including the seaworthiness of vessels and the loading capacity of vessels. The department shared that implementations of safety measures are hindered by several challenges such as the inadequacy and weakness of marine regulations and low staff levels which hinder effective water patrols. The Ministry nevertheless has recently contracted Aliboats to supply a number of vessels for monitoring purposes.The need for a nationwide education and awareness raising campaign on marine safety was recognised as one way of ensuring that people adopt safe practices whilst on water. Also pointed out was that the Inland Waters Shipping Act of 1961 (Chapter 466 of the Laws of Zambia, otherwise known as CAP 466) excludes non-motorised vessels such as dugout canoes; and the meeting was informed that many of the marine accidents that occurred on the water bodies are largely from such crafts.
• Presentation 2: Marine Safety Enforcement initiatives and challenges - A presentation was made by the Zambia Police Marine Police Unit who concurred with the observations made by the Department of Maritime and Inland Waters with regard to the challenges of enforcing marine safety. It also pointed out that in its current form, CAP 466 does not empower the Marine Unit to effectively enforce marine safety in the same way that the Road Traffic Act No. 11 of 2002 empowers the Road Traffic Police Unit and the Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) with regard to licensing, penalties and sanctions. The Marine Police Unit stressed the need for investment in radio communication equipment (VHF channels) by both boat owners and government.
• Presentation 3: Private Sector Proposition - Autoworld Zambia’s marine division presented that the private sector users in areas such as Mongu-Kalabo had adopted a mandatory practice of life jacket use. Contrary to the notion that life jackets are expensive, it stocks a variety of life jackets with the cheapest being K100.However there were other significant factors related to water safety - specifically the state of the boat engines and water crafts, and the presence of bilge pumps, portable horns, paddles, running lights, communication equipment and fuel containers, all in good working order.

Six point action plan

The stakeholders identified six important issues that needed to be resolved in the short term in order to enhance marine safety:

• Overhauling CAP 466 - the responsibility of the Department of Maritime & Inland Waters - by end Dec 2015
• Building a marine safety awareness partnership - the responsibility of ZBiDF - by end March 2015
• Issuance of a press statement to highlight the meeting and the way forward - the responsibility of ZBiDF - by end March 2015
• Soliciting for more funding – prepare monthly budgets to motivate for more funding - the responsibility of MTWSC/MoFnp - by end March 2015
• Increasing the number of marine staff – employ more staff to man harbours, and purchase new boats - the responsibility of MTWSC/MoFnp - by end Dec 2015
• Increasing marine infrastructure – specifically offices, patrol boats and navigation beacons - the responsibility of MTWSC/MoFnp - by end Dec 2015
• Enhancing ship to shore communication (radio) - the responsibility of MTWSC/ZICTA - by end Dec 2015

Vice President’s address

Honourable Yamfwa Mukanga, Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications welcomed the initiative in a speech he read on behalf of the Vice President, indicating it had come at the right time. She directed that the outcomes of the meeting incorporated the following:

1. Increased community awareness and education
2. Better adherence and enforcement of regulations
3. More affordable access to lifesaving devices and vessels
4. Enhanced communication and rescue measures

Wrap up by Autoworld’s Chairman

In conclusion, Autoworld Chairman Mr Noble Findlay gave a vote of thanks to the Vice President’s speech and noted that as a business, Autoworld appreciated that government had taken time to join the gathering to deliberate on marine safety. He also encouraged the Minister to consider removing VAT on life jackets as a way of making them even more affordable for the communities that live near water bodies.

In response, the Minister instructed staff from the Maritime and Inland Waterways Department to immediately commence action that would lead to the repealing and replacement of CAP 466 and the removal of VAT on life jackets in the 2016 Budget, as a measure of the government’s commitment to improve marine safety in Zambia.

TJM tubeless repair kit & mini compressors - Avoid the flat tyre nightmare

Get yourself equipped, so you can stay safe and enjoy your journey!

Have you ever been on a long journey and noticed one of your tyres was slightly flat? Have you enjoyed a day at the mall only to find you have a puncture? Your heart may sink further when you realise there are no workshops nearby (especially if you are on a long Zambian road in the middle of nowhere). A flat tyre can be a real pain.

In most cases you will find a puncture is caused by a nail or a foreign object that has engaged itself in the tyre resulting in low pressure. To stay safe and enjoy your trip, we recommend changing your tyres well before the tread gets low. This will help avoid flat tyres altogether. To help you on your way, this month’s 15% off special is on tyres and tubes (from 7th-13th May).

Even with a good tread, a tyre may still sometimes develop a puncture. When this happens, you can ensure you finish your journey safely with the TJM tubeless repair kit and mini compressor which come with an instruction manual and guarantee. Both are small enough to permanently stay in the boot of your vehicle. With the kit you can be equipped for any quick fix regardless of the car you drive.

Nowadays most vehicles run on tubeless tyres. This makes it very easy to repair them without needing to remove the tyre from the vehicle.

How can I tell the difference between a tyre with a tube or one without?

Tyres with tubes have a valve protruding from the tube. Tubeless tyres have a tubeless valve which is fitted to the rim of the tyre. Our workshop and sales staff are happy to help you identify the difference so you can establish if the tubeless repair kit is right for your vehicle.

What does the TJM tubeless kit consist of?

1. A cord needle tool
2. A tyre rasp (file)
3. Replacement needle for the needle tool
4. An allen key to fix the needle tool when replacing needles
5. A trim tool (sharp cutter) and tyre lubricant to help make it easy to insert the rasp (file)
6. 20 x tubeless repair chords (patches)
7. Robust storage case
8. Spare valve cores
9. Valve key and long nose pliers

How much will it cost you? At any Autoworld branch you can get the tubeless repair kit for K330* and the mini compressor at an amazing K1,815*.

7 steps to repairing your tubeless tyre with repair kit and compressor

1. Use the pliers supplied to remove any obstructions in the damaged area of the tyre.
2. Clean out the hole using the rasp tool (file). Inserting the rasp tool into the hole a few times will sufficiently clean the hole and make room for finally inserting a patch.
3.  Apply the lubricant supplied to the shaft of the rasp tool (file). This will assist when the rasp is inserted into the hole created by the removed obstruction.
4. Thread the repairing cord (patch) through the eye of the needle tool. The lubricant can be applied to the tip of the needle tool to help you easily insert the cord (patch) into the tyre.
5. Press the needle tool and cord (patch) into the filled out hole in the tyre. Ensure a small amount of the cord (patch) is visible even after it’s inserted into the tyre. Slowly pull out the needle tool by slightly pulling up on the handle. The cord (patch) should remain in the tyre sealing the hole. Do not twist the needle tool in this process.
6. With the cutter supplied trim any excess cord (patch) protruding from the tyre.
7. Re-inflate the tyre with your TJM air compressor to the desired pressure. Check the repaired area for any leaks by simply pouring a little bit of water and checking that no bubbles appear.

As a safety measure, consider taking your car to the nearest Autoworld garage once you are able to drive. It's important to have your tyre re-checked by a professional to ensure it is permanently sealed.

Contact any of our Autoworld stores for more information on tyres, tubes, the TJM tubeless repair kits and mini compressors. Visit us or reach us on Twitter and Facebook.

Don’t miss out on this month’s 15% discount on tyres and tubes - visit us before 13th May.

Safe driving!

* All prices include 16% VAT

Latest Autoworld Staff News

We as employers like to recognise the achievements of Autoworld staff and the value they bring to the company. Through the things we do as employers, we want to make a lasting impact on our employees, helping them feel part and parcel of the company and motivating them to be even more committed. The month of March was a busy but exciting month for us all. We had training with our team, a competition and two birthdays.

Pirelli Tyres Sales Training

We had the privilege of having some of our staff members undergo tyre sales training. There were 15 Autoworld participants from different departments. The trainers were a team of three who arrived in Zambia on 3rd March, 2015 to conduct the product and marketing session which lasted a day and a half. This training was held at Intercontinental Hotel.

The participants were trained on how to read tyres in terms of size, width, profile and even the rim size. They were also trained on how much pressure should be pumped into the tyre, making it easier for a salesman to immediately point out what a customer needs. At the end of the session participants from various organisations mingled, shared knowledge and took pictures.

Sales Staff Competition

In our quest to serve our clients better, we believe our Sales Staff are our ambassadors as they are the people who uphold the image of the company. In this regard, we introduced a competition to motivate and appreciate their hard work and contribution and to acknowledge the value they bring to the organisation.

We asked our sales team to be attentive and note down products that were not current stock items but could possibly be on demand. This information would come from customer requests at our sales counters.

The response was tremendous and we received very helpful feedback every day. Of course there can only be one deserving winner. As with many other competitions, this one came with a surprising winner, a man popular for controversy also known as the 'mad scientist.' Mr Arnold Chooka, a Senior Salesman walked away with the prize - a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini which was presented by Director Mr Glenn Findlay. Mr Chooka put in unprecedented effort which was jokingly described by the Purchasing Manager Mr. David Findlay as that of a 'moving computer.' Mr Chooka had a very good month as he also celebrated his birthday with his team mates on 20th March.

Seasons Greetings from the Director

In our final newsletter of the year, one of our Directors here at Autoworld, Glenn Findlay, ends with some reflections on 2013 and wishes you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  Please note that all of our branches will be closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day.

As I sit here reflecting on the past year I can see how 2013 has been a year of many new developments and changes at Autoworld.

In December last year we launched our new website with our interactive news page bringing our customers the latest information and tips from our team at Autoworld.  We have embraced the world of social media with our new Facebook page and Twitter page and are really enjoying engaging with our customers in a new way. The response has been fantastic from this expansion into cyber space and we've really enjoyed getting feedback from both our customers and suppliers.  We're looking forward to continuing to develop this aspect of the business in 2014 and would love to hear any suggestions you may have of information you would like to receive from us.

February marked our first Monthly Special of our top selling items reduced for a period of one week starting on the first Thursday of each month.  Over the past year we've been able to offer a wide range of items and the feedback from our customers has been brilliant!

Our purchasing department are continuously striving to keep our product range fresh and meeting the needs of our customers, so the addition of our Ecogen and Eezi-Awn tents dealerships this year has been a great success.  We do our best to keep up to date with what's new on the market, however if you've seen something that you would like us to stock please feel free to drop us an email with your thoughts.

Internally our team have been receiving lots of product training thanks to our dedicated supplier network and we're looking forward to another year of working together to further improve our product knowledge.  Davies Malembeka has been doing a fantastic job in helping us define and implement our core values as a company ensuring that we are all working together as a team to keep Zambia moving.

This Christmas we've put together the Ultimate Christmas Shopping List for Him which really embraces our product range at Autoworld that is all about play.  You can find it below and with just 5 days left until Christmas you might still get lucky if you send the list in the right direction ;-)

On a final note, on behalf of the whole team at Autoworld, I'd like to wish all of our customers and suppliers a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  It's thanks to your business and support that we've been able to have the year of change that we have and we look forward to another year of working together.

Merry Christmas! Glenn Findlay Director

Positive improvement for the motor trade with the 2013 Budget

Over the coming months we will be adding new categories to the News section of our website and this month we are pleased to introduce you to Notes From the Chairman.  This news category will contain brief memos from the Autoworld Chairman, Mr Noble Findlay, who has over 40 years of experience in the Zambian motor trade.  It is a chance for you to be a fly on the wall hearing some of his words of wisdom gained over his years in the industry.  We would love to hear your thoughts on this topic so please take the opportunity to comment in the section below this post.  On that note, we hand you over to our Chairman...

For as many years as I can remember I have always advocated reduced duty on products in the motor trade. High import duties on boat engines and boats have made it impossible for so many to afford these items, making them more of a luxury product than an essential item for both the tourism industry as well as commercial fishermen.

When the 2013 Budget Statement was announced last October I was very pleased to hear that boat engines that used to have a duty of 15% would now be duty free. Additionally, boats that used to have a duty of 25% would now be duty free as well. As sole distributor of Mercury Marine engines and a wide range of boat dealerships at Autoworld we are now able to pass on this reduction in lower prices for our customers.

This makes a significant difference for Zambia because now the lodge owner is able to afford the luxury boat to enhance their clients’ tourist experience. The commercial fisherman now has a boat engine within his reach.

Another very positive improvement from the 2013 Budget has been that truck tyres that had a duty of 25% are now duty free. This significantly reduces transport costs, which are one of our main bottlenecks in Zambia. In time this knock on effect should result in cheaper products for the Zambian consumer.

Zambia is a nation of tourism and growing development and after 40 years of being in the motor industry I am very excited to see the direction that we heading.

A new website for Autoworld Zambia

After months of working closely with a fantastic team at The Best of Zambia we are proud to present to you our shiny new website, www.autoworldzambia.com! So much has changed at Autoworld, we needed a new website to showcase all that's been happening within our company. When you arrive on the homepage you will be presented with a range of options to explore.

In our Products and Services section you can view what we offer. If you're interested in finding out more about each item there are links to various manufacturer's websites. Our Marine section is particularly exciting as it beautifully showcases the wide range of boats and engines we have available.

In our About page, you can read up on our history and commitment to community work in Zambia.

We're really excited about our News page. Not only will it enable us to communicate with our customers on what's happening in Autoworld, but we can also get to hear from you through the interactive nature of this facility. Information is divided into categories so that you can easily navigate to what you are interested in. Those of you wanting to take advantage of our monthly and seasonal specials will be able to find out about them here. You'll also get a chance to hear insights from some of the team at Autoworld - such as our 'Notes from the Chairman', Noble Findlay, with his 40 years of experience in the motor trade industry. Be sure to sign up to our newsletter so you don't miss out on special offers, and so we can let you know when something new and exciting is happening at Autoworld.

The Contact page has information regarding branch location, contact details and opening hours.

Also, if you're on Facebook be sure to Like our facebook page. You can also follow us on twitter @AutoworldZambia.

So go and explore our website and let us know what you think - we'd love to hear from you!