The South African Association of Freight Forwarders, the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC), the Tyre, Equipment and Parts Association (Tepa) and the Tyre Importers Association of South Africa (Tiasa) have teamed up to form the Tyre Silo Forum.

This follows the launch last year of the Blow the Whistle Compliance Forum, aimed at stamping out the trade in illegal automotive parts in South Africa. 

The Tyre Silo Forum is spearheaded by Tepa national director Vishal Premlall.

Premlall hopes the forum will be able to gain momentum during this work. 

“[The illicit trade in tyres] is an issue that impacts all South Africans, as well as all industry players in the import, manufacturing and retail space. 

“The coming together of these four powerful associations will definitely create further impetus to our drive.”

The forum says its efforts are designed to protect the consumer, as well as to minimise the impact on the tyre sector and the economy.

“Significant revenues are being lost as a result of certain importers and traders at the bottom end of the supply chain who are bringing in parts of very poor quality through compromised channels. 

“These parts are not fit for purpose and do not adhere to local regulatory standards. 

“Not only does this negatively impact a struggling economy, but it is also a safety hazard for unsuspecting consumers.”

SATMC managing executive Nduduzo Chala says the forum’s efforts will align with the work SATMC is doing behind the scenes with law enforcement agencies to identify and investigate cases of illicit tyre trade. 

“We need to protect our industry and the livelihood this industry supports.

“The longer we allow illicit products to enter through our borders, the more we are going to see retrenchments happening in the sector and businesses closing down, not to mention the safety impact on the average motorist.”

Tiasa chairperson Charl de Villiers believes that addressing the issue requires a collaborative effort from all relevant stakeholders.

“We expect that the current depressed economic climate will continue to impact consumer choice, and we also anticipate that unscrupulous traders will increasingly look for loopholes to take advantage of the current challenges being experienced at our ports.”

Premlall says the forum will work closely with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications and the South African Revenue Service to close any loopholes in existing laws and regulations.  

“We require a hybrid approach starting right from origin declaration, and then identifying the risk indicators at every point on the supply chain.

“We also want to remind consumers to stand up and report any illicit trade through our whistleblower hotline so the necessary role players can step in. [Details] can be found on the Tepa website.”