R900m-plus investment rollout on the cards for Ford dealership network

The Ford dealership network will see a R900-million-plus investment rollout over the next three years. The money will not be spent by Ford, but by its partners and dealership owners, such as Motus,... 

June new-vehicle sales jump by 18.7% as imports also soar

June new-vehicle sales, at 47 294 units, were up 18.7% compared with the same month last year, “reflecting a sustained and broad-based recovery in consumer and fleet demand”, says naamsa | The... 

Automotive sector facing decline as SA’s infrastructure decay comes home to roost – Barnes

The fundamental challenge many vehicle assembly operations in South Africa currently face is that their operations are becoming less vital to the success of their parent companies. This is linked... 

TRAC concession kicks off R1bn construction drive

Trans African Concessions (TRAC) this month kicks off roughly R1-billion in upgrade and rehabilitation work on the N4. The N4 toll route is a build-operate-transfer road, and is about 570 km long.... 

Hisense SA grows its TV, fridge output, seeks more local suppliers

Hisense South Africa (SA) deputy GM Luna Nortje says there is potential at the television (TV) and refrigerator assembler to increase the local sourcing of electronic components, compressors,... 

Chery set to bring the iCAUR electric brand to SA next year

Chery South Africa says it will add the iCAUR electric brand to its local portfolio next year. The announcement follows the brand’s local reveal at the 2025 Festival of Motoring. 

Local government may soon have no choice but to buy electric buses – MAN SA boss

A strong global push towards using fully electric buses in cities, coupled with South Africa’s lethargic progress – if any – towards clean fuel, may soon leave local city councils with no... 

US tariff shock a ‘socio-economic crisis in the making’, warns naamsa CEO

Vehicle exports from South Africa to the US dropped by 73% in the first quarter of the year, declining by a further 80% and 85% in April and May, respectively, says naamsa | the Automotive Business... 

Global EV sales set for record year; emerging market sales booming – BloombergNEF

BloombergNEF’s (BNEF’s) yearly ‘Electric Vehicle Outlook’ study expects nearly 22-million battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales – EV sales – this year, up 25% from last year, as the... 

Cape Town eases zoning rules to spur selected backyard housing developments

Cape Town’s City Council has approved a number of changes to the Municipal Planning By-law (MPBL) in a move it believes will make it easier to develop and build affordable housing, especially in... 

Assembly plant volume cuts happening all too often, says Naacam as Merc suspends production

National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam) CEO Renai Moothilal says production plant volume cuts have become all too common in South Africa’s vehicle assembly... 

City of Cape Town to procure 30 electric buses from Volvo

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) will procure 30 fully electric buses from Volvo Bus Southern Africa for its MyCiTi bus service, following an open-market tendering process. The first buses are... 

Hino recalls more than 6 600 trucks; VW, Volvo on the lookout for faulty Golfs, XC90s

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has received recall notifications from Volkswagen, Volvo Cars and Toyota in South Africa. Toyota is recalling 6 662 Hino 500 SKD series trucks and 77 Hino 500... 

Chery South Africa conducts feasibility study on establishing a local plant

Chinese importer Chery South Africa (SA) is in the midst of a feasibility study to determine if it will establish an assembly plant in the country. “Given Chery’s rapid growth in the South African... 

TRAC concession kicks off almost a billion rand in construction work in July

Trans African Concessions (TRAC) this month kicks off roughly R1-billion in upgrade and rehabilitation work on the N4. The N4 toll route is a build-operate-transfer road, and is about 570 km long.... 

Chery South Africa to expand line-up with new Lepas sub-brand in 2026

Chery South Africa will launch a new sub-brand in South Africa next year – Lepas. The Chinese importer says the new marquee will “introduce a fresh perspective on what a premium sports-utility... 

Cape Town’s own-build solar plant on track for year-end completion

The City of Cape Town’s Atlantis solar PV plant has, to date, seen the installation of around 2 400 solar panels out of the planned 12 850 panels as part of this R200-million renewable-energy... 

South Africa’s freight system stabilising, but no ‘kumbaya moment’ yet 

South Africa’s efforts to restore its logistics infrastructure have seen it stabilise the system, but not yet execute a big leap forward. This was the consensus among members of a panel speaking on... 

Transnet Engineering sets R1bn turnover goal for burgeoning maritime division

Transnet operating division Transnet Engineering (TE) aims for its relatively new maritime business to reach R1-billion in turnover in the next eight to ten years, says TE manufacturing and ports... 

Auto sector facing decline as SA’s infrastructure decay comes home to roost – Barnes

The fundamental challenge many vehicle assembly operations in South Africa currently face is that their operations are becoming less vital to the success of their parent companies. This is linked... 

June new-vehicle sales jump by 18.7%, imports soaring – naamsa

June new-vehicle sales, at 47 294 units, were up 18.7% compared with the same month last year, “reflecting a sustained and broad-based recovery in consumer and fleet demand”, says naamsa | The... 

Assembly plant volume cuts happening more often, says Naacam as Merc suspends production

National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam) CEO Renai Moothilal says production plant volume cuts have become all too common in South Africa’s vehicle assembly... 

Cape Town revises by-law to boost selected backyard housing developments

Cape Town’s City Council has approved a number of changes to the Municipal Planning By-law (MPBL) in a move it believes will make it easier to develop and build affordable housing, especially in... 

SA auto industry facing volatile and uncertain global trading outlook

naamsa | The Automotive Business Council describes 2024 as “a taxing year” in its newly released Automotive Trade Manual 2025. The combined export value of vehicles and automotive components from... 

Goodyear plant closure comes on the back of “massive pressure” build-up – NMB Business Chamber

Goodyear South Africa (SA) has initiated a Section 189A process, related to a restructuring process that includes the tyre manufacturer’s operations in Kariega. The Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB)... 

Deal signed on global Fuso-Hino merger, operations to start in April next year

Daimler Truck and Toyota Motor Corporation have signed an agreement to integrate Mitsubishi Fuso and Hino truck companies on an equal footing. Daimler Truck is Fuso’s parent company, and Toyota is... 

SA auto industry facing volatile and uncertain global trading outlook

naamsa | The Automotive Business Council describes 2024 as “a taxing year” in its newly released Automotive Trade Manual 2025. The combined export value of vehicles and automotive components from... 

Toyota Gazoo Racing and SVR unveil new motorsport engineering, manufacturing hub

Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA), together with SVR, have unveiled their new motorsport operations base – the Toyota Gazoo Racing Motorsport Hub, located in Kyalami, Gauteng. Construction... 

Tough commodity market hits Grindrod where it hurts

The commodity markets have not treated Grindrod favourably in the first five months of the year, says CEO Xolani Mbambo. Speaking to investors on a conference call on Wednesday, he warned that the... 

Mercedes-Benz appoints new CEO at its South African operations

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) CEO and MBSA Manufacturing executive director Andreas Brand has resigned. He will take on a new role as Mercedes-Benz production network completely knocked down... 

Cape Town to make 840 additional taxi, e-hailing permits available

The City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate, in collaboration with the Western Cape government’s Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE), is initiating a two-phase process to allow for the... 

Solareff opens new Cape Town office on back of regional boom

The Johannesburg-based Solareff group last week cut the ribbon on its new off-grid, 720 m2 regional office and warehouse in Cape Town. Chief commercial officer DeVilliers Botha says the engineered... 

Solareff mulling its options regarding its GridCars shareholding

Solareff CEO Jaco Botha says the engineered solar PV and battery energy storage solutions group is weighing the future of its 75% shareholding in vehicle charge network operator GridCars. GridCars... 

300-plus problem buildings identified in Cape Town

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says its active problem building caseload is hovering at just more than 300 properties. The city’s Law Enforcement Problem Building Unit (PBU) has a total of 922... 

Auto policy roll-out, affordable mobility top list of priorities for new AAAM CEO

The African Association of Automotive Manufacturers’ (AAAM’s) new CEO, Victoria Backhaus-Jerling, says she has four main priorities for her tenure at the industry body. Before her appointment on... 

Ford SA launches programme for specialised commercial vehicle conversions

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (Ford SA) has launched the Ford Pro Convertor (FPC) programme for commercial market customers seeking specialised vehicle conversions. The programme allows... 

Fiat launches new half-tonner in Africa – but it may not be what you imagined

Fiat Professional has introduced its first-ever three-wheeled electric vehicle – the Tris – in Africa and the Middle East. Focused on tasks such as micro-transport and last-mile delivery – think... 

Electric truck take-off requires two concessions from govt, says Volvo Trucks South Africa MD

South African truck assemblers are lobbying for two concessions from government as the world increasingly moves to electric mobility, says Volvo Trucks South Africa (Volvo Trucks SA) MD Waldemar... 

Kyalami in multimillion-rand upgrade in effort to host F1 race

Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit boss Toby Venter says he has received confirmation that the Federation International de l'Automobile (FIA) has accepted the final design proposals to upgrade the... 

Cape Town turns to Finland for support as it centralises facilities management

The City of Cape Town’s Corporate Services Directorate will receive support from the Finnish government on how to apply data analytics in its long-term planning and decision-making processes. As...