Huasheng Online Full Media Reporter Peng Kexin Correspondent Ding Zhongxi Xiao Chen

The whistle of the 2030 World Cup has not yet sounded, but the construction of stadiums in North Africa is already in full swing.

At the construction site of the Rabat Sports Stadium in Morocco, a Zoomlion 1000 ton crawler crane accurately lifted hundreds of tons of steel structures into place. After completing the main body lifting of the sports stadium in the early stage, this Hunan made“ Big Mac” We will move to the largest football stadium currently planned globally; — Hassan II Stadium.

Under the steel frame of the World Cup venue, Hunan Construction Machinery's industrial ambition to deeply cultivate Africa is leaping. According to data from Changsha Customs, Hunan's construction machinery exports amounted to 17.3 billion yuan in the first five months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 20.1%; Among them, exports to Africa amounted to 2.55 billion yuan, an increase of 85.2%, far exceeding the overall growth rate.

Why did Hunan construction machinery run out of Africa; Acceleration;?

Demand pull‐ —

Mining and infrastructure are heating up comprehensively

The Simandou iron mine, located in southeastern Guinea, West Africa, is currently the largest and highest quality undeveloped iron mine in the world. This super project, with a total investment of over 20 billion US dollars, will be accompanied by the construction of over 620 kilometers of cross-border heavy-duty railways and modern ports, with extremely high requirements for equipment attendance and stability.

At the end of last year, a batch of large tonnage engineering cranes from Zoomlion entered this land and fully invested in the construction of core infrastructure in the mining area.

The explosive growth in demand for construction machinery in Africa is driven by the mining industry. Since 2025, resource development projects such as iron and bauxite mines in Guinea, lithium mines in Mali, and iron ore in Nigeria have been intensively launched, driving demand for equipment throughout the entire chain of open-pit mining, ore loading and unloading, and short distance transportation. Taking excavators as an example, about 75% of Africa's demand comes from the mining of non-ferrous and precious metal minerals such as copper, gold, and lithium. According to data from Changsha Customs, in the first five months, Hunan exported construction machinery to Mali worth 270 million yuan, an increase of 171.9%; Exports to Guinea amounted to 220 million yuan, an increase of 179.7%.

Infrastructure projects are another major growth engine. Currently, Africa is experiencing the fastest urbanization process in the world. According to the prediction of the African Union, the proportion of urban population in Africa will rise to 50% by 2030, with a sharp increase in urban population, bringing huge demand for housing, public transportation, and municipal facilities. The dependence on imported engineering equipment exceeds 90%, and there is a strong demand for equipment renewal.

This demand is directly reflected in the export product structure of Hunan. In the first five months, Hunan exported earth and stone machinery such as excavators, loaders, and rollers worth 4.63 billion yuan, an increase of 42.2%; Freight motor vehicles amounted to 490 million yuan, an increase of 70.8%.

Supply breakthrough‐ —

Hardcore strength wins the market

Recently, KHL Group in the UK released the list of the top 50 global construction machinery manufacturers for 2026, with 13 Chinese companies on the list and Hunan occupying 5 seats, namely Sany Heavy Industry, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology, China Railway Construction Heavy Industry, Shanhe Intelligent, and Xingbang Intelligent.

Winning the trust of African customers, the strength of engineering machinery Hunan enterprises lies not only in; Selling products; More importantly, it lies in; Provide scenario based solutions;.

African mining areas and construction sites often face high temperatures, sandstorms, and other conditions. Areas with weak infrastructure are mostly unpaved roads, and the local fuel quality varies greatly, requiring strict performance requirements for construction machinery and equipment.

Based on a profound understanding of these challenges, Hunan enterprises have made precise modifications to their products. Sany Heavy Industry's equipment not only has stronger continuous operation capability, but also reduces operating costs through intelligent energy-saving technology to address the relatively unstable power supply in Africa. Zoomlion's customized products cover multiple categories such as earthmoving, lifting, and agricultural machinery, emphasizing the versatility of one machine. Suitable solutions can be found for everything from small farms to large-scale infrastructure projects.

Cost effectiveness is another factor; Ace”. Compared to European and American brands, Hunan construction machinery equipment is more competitive in price while maintaining core performance. For African clients with limited budgets, this balance is particularly attractive.

From the Rabat Stadium in Morocco for the 2030 World Cup, to the largest airport in Africa, Bischovtu International Airport, and then to the Mombasa Nairobi Railway in Kenya and the Central Standard Gauge Railway in Tanzania; … Each landmark project in Africa has become a landmark; Made in Hunan; The hardcore business card.

Rooted growth‐ —

From exhibition setup to local ecological construction

How to transform short-term export dividends into long-term market cultivation? Xiao Hao, Executive Vice Dean of the African Studies Institute at Hunan University, believes that companies need to establish a sustainable business ecosystem in Africa through exhibitions and local roots.

In June of this year, the African branch of Changsha International Construction Machinery Exhibition was held in Nairobi, Kenya, with over 1300 professional buyers in attendance and a total signing amount of 189.4 million US dollars. The customer network radiated to 15 African countries. In the same month, the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo was held; Entering Africa; The Moroccan special event was held in Casablanca, where Hunan engineering machinery enterprises directly connected with local Moroccan enterprises.

“ The exhibition is not only a platform for product display, but also an efficient channel for the transmission of industrial cluster advantages. ” Xiao Hao said that companies can leverage precise supply-demand matching to; Exhibition traffic; Convert to“ Economic and trade increment; It is also possible to directly move the docking platform to the doorstep of Africa, reducing the cost of acquiring customers for enterprises and improving docking efficiency.

To solve“ How to sell it; And we also need to think about it; Truly able to stand;.

At present, Hunan construction machinery enterprises have established a comprehensive localized service system in Africa. By setting up subsidiaries, service stations, and warehousing centers locally, they have built a localized after-sales, maintenance, and parts supply system to quickly respond to customer needs and solve the core pain points of equipment operation and maintenance for overseas customers.
 

For example, Sany Group has invested in the construction of industrial parks and central warehouses in South Africa, providing not only accessory support for customers, but also setting up training centers to provide technical training for local service personnel. At present, the proportion of local employees in the industrial park is about 90%.

At present, the China Africa Economic and Trade Deep Cooperation Pilot Zone relies on the Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone to promote institutional innovation, and combines the dividends of non-zero tariff policies to provide enterprises with a package of services such as customs clearance, settlement, and legal services.

“ The government should establish a public platform in areas such as mutual recognition of standards and joint construction of after-sales service networks to avoid enterprises fighting on their own and duplicating construction. ” Xiao Hao believes that government level public services can twist dispersed forces into a rope, allowing Hunan Construction Machinery to form a true brand synergy in Africa.

Author: Peng Kexin

Editor in Chief: Wu Yi

First instance: Wu Yi

Second instance: Yin Yifan

Third instance: Tan Deng

Source: Huasheng Online