Toyota and Agri SA celebrate farming sector
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) once again took centre stage in celebrating the resilience, determination and innovation within South Africa’s agricultural sector.
- Industry News
- 25 November 2024
Doing business in a remote part of the country, notwithstanding the presence of the 8th largest coal-fired power station in the world, is easier said than done.
In Lephalale (previously Ellisras) the completion of the Medupi Power Station 2019 saw most of the contractors leaving town, thereby creating an economic void. Shortly afterwards, COVID-19 followed with devastating results that are still being felt all over the world, especially in the automotive sector.
“Trying to do business from lockdown to lockdown is a challenge as you know. Over and above this, I was just appointed as Dealer Principal at Matopi Ford in Lephalale in 2019. Ready for action and full of plans, the pandemic interrupted our plans and still does today. We have learned to manage and adapt our strategies and do the best we can.”
So, says Jannie Lötter, DP at Matopi Ford in the North West town close to the Botswana border.
The dealership is part of Emslie Motors, which belongs to Don Emslie with Ford and Mahindra dealerships in Lephalale and Thabazimbi, the Toyota dealership in Lephalale and an agriculture business with various divisions, including Landini Tractors.
“Every wave of the virus, with the accompanying restrictions, sets you back a step or two just as you are ready to move forward. We are optimistic, and in our region, there are signs that that could be interpretated as good news.
“There is a possibility of a new coal mine not too far out of town that could be an injection, and the repair of one of the reactors at Medupi, which was destroyed in a blast, could see some short-term benefits.
“The Power Station, Exxaro Coal Mine and the agriculture sector sustain the economy in Lephalale. The economy seems to have stabilised if you look at factors like property values. We sure do miss the heydays when Medupi was built and there was an influx of new people and fresh money into the town.
“We are fortunate to sell mostly new vehicles in our area of responsibility (AOR) and we benefit from getting to do the servicing and repairs. Our AOR stretches to Mokopane and Polokwane in the east, south towards Thabazimbi with Vaalwater the border between our branch and the one in Thabazimbi and up to the Botswana border.
“We are used to doing more business with customers in Botswana, but since the pandemic, we basically just do servicing and not selling any vehicles. The effects of the Right to Repair are also something to keep in mind although our expertise and good customer service are positives in this regard,” Jannie tells Dealerfloor.
Asked about the popularity of their product range, Jannie says the Ranger bakkie-range is extremely popular and they just hope their current stockpile is enough till the manufacturing plant re-opens. “In normal circumstances, we would run out of bakkies but given the current conditions we might be in luck. The Ford EcoSport is also popular among residents.”
Jannie says they still try to keep up their involvement in the community with sponsorships of a primary school’s rugby teams and athletics as well as a very popular night golf tournament.
He says before being appointed as DP at Matopi Ford, he was a Sales Executive at Tamboti Toyota in Lephalale and part of the Emslie Motor Group. His older brother, André, is the DP at Tamboti Toyota. (Dealerfloor reported on Tamboti on 20 May.)
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) once again took centre stage in celebrating the resilience, determination and innovation within South Africa’s agricultural sector.
On 20 November, the winners of the Fleet Safety Awards 2024 were awarded at a star-studded Awards ceremony.
The National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) announced the nationwide roll-out of its new dealership decal programme, designed to empower South African consumers in making confident, informed choices about where to purchase or service their vehicles.
Advertisement
Advertisement
If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.
Bob Hooey
As we all know, the profit of a motor dealership comes from several areas and each of them needs to be monitored closely if you want to ensure that your dealership performs well.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
One of the latest Chinese automotive brands to establish itself in South Africa, GAC Motor, is benefitting from the expertise of well-known motor groups in the country, like the BB Motor Group.