13/06/2008 20:52. MD Kazuyuki Yamashita says the company intends to sell 2 800 vehicles in the remaining seven months of 2008. The five-year target is annual sales of 11 500.

If all goes according to plan, the company will eventually broaden its horizons to encompass other southern African countries. Despite the lousy SA market, Yamashita says: "We always wanted to get back here as soon as we could."

The potential importance of SA to Suzuki was underlined by the presence at the company's launch of Toshihiro Suzuki, the global group's senior managing executive officer and eldest son of chairman Osamu Suzuki.

Developing markets are central to the group's growth strategy. Twenty-five years ago, Suzuki was the first motor company to build vehicles in India. Today it accounts for over 50% of all new... // Financial Mail