Cars.co.za launches Match! to dealers

Cars.co.za, arguably South Africa’s largest automotive platform, has launched its new match-making service for private sellers and dealers after trailing it across Gauteng over the last couple of months.

Obi onyeador a ZKJ Evydr NM unsplash

Aptly named Match! the new service allows private sellers to list pictures and information on their vehicle on the Match!-service on the Cars.co.za web, mobi site or app. Registered dealers can then browse the inventory and bid on vehicles on the same platform.

According to Hannes Oosthuizen, Consumer Experience Manager at Cars.co.za, the app has received over 10 000 listings since it moved from its beta phase, while “several hundred” dealers have activated their Match! service on their Cars.co.za profiles.

“Dealers are incredibly important to us, and Match! was created to help them source good quality used vehicles directly from the source. We will continue to refine the product and user experience for both the seller and the dealer and will consider all feedback from our dealer community,” says Hannes.

Cars.co.za Match! logo
The new Match! service by Cars.co.za aims to give dealers access to more used vehicle stock.

How it works:

Private vehicle owners can list their cars – with a detailed description and pictures on the Match! service for free. Once the listing is submitted, the clock starts and dealers have 48 hours to bid for that vehicle.

According to Hannes, dealers can set stock alerts and receive a notification when any car is listed that falls within their parameters.

Once the bidding has started, the vehicle owner can track a bid, or multiple bids, on a consolidated dashboard. A link to this dashboard and info on the bids received are sent to the owner via SMS and email.

After the 48 hours for bidding have expired, the owner has another 48 hours to “connect” the car to an offer. At that point, the seller and dealer’s details are shared, and the two parties can conclude their transaction, with Cars.co.za charging a nominal commission fee to the buying dealer.

“Sellers are under no obligation to sell their vehicles. They can reject offers and provide feedback as to why they rejected them, which is shared with the bidding dealers. What’s more, sellers have an opportunity to re-activate their vehicles for another round of bidding, if they did not like the bids or those bids have expired,” says Hannes.

More Industry News stories

New General Manager for DTSA’s TruckStore

New General Manager for DTSA’s TruckStore

Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) has announced the appointment of Wolf Edmayr as its new General Manager of its used truck and bus division: TruckStore, effective 1 April 2025.

  • 31 March 2025
Mixed bag for Super Group in first six months

Mixed bag for Super Group in first six months

Super Group, the JSE-listed supply chain, fleet management and dealership group, says the 0.5 percentage point reduction in the prime lending rate in the six months to end-December 2024 is starting to affect both new and used vehicle sales levels.

  • 29 March 2025
Solera Audatex empowers 600 trainees in SA’s repair industry

Solera Audatex empowers 600 trainees in SA’s repair industry

Solera Audatex, a global player in vehicle life-cycle management, has reached a significant milestone in its growth and impact on the South African market. In 2024, the company invested in upskilling the South African automotive repair industry and trained 569 students on-site and an additional 112 students through its online platform, called Solera University.

  • 28 March 2025