Triton brings the challenge to competitors
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
- Product News
- 21 November 2024
Confidence is the remembrance of success. If you know what you are doing, you change preconceived ideas and stereotypes that people may hold of you.
This philosophy keeps Noorhana Sheik, the new Dealer Principal of Suzuki Bethlehem, heading for her true North. Suzuki Bethlehem is part of the Docrat Group, which includes Volkswagen, Audi and Suzuki dealers in Bethlehem, Newcastle, Ermelo and Vryheid.
Noorhana is no stranger to success. Her career kicked off in 2010 at the Volkswagen Dealership in Bethlehem. As a hard worker and quick learner, she made her way up to the top in all the different portfolios at the dealership, including in the service and parts departments where she got the hang of the technical side the motor trade.
And Noorhana wasn’t simply coping in her new, more technical role for in 2019 she won the prestigious national accolade as Volkswagen South Africa’s Best Service Advisor in the country, which is no easy feat.
Today, Noorhana is the Dealer Principal at Suzuki in Bethlehem. Both VW and Suzuki dealerships are part of the Docrat Group in the town.
“We moved from Newcastle to Bethlehem in 2006. My husband, Ameen, is the Sales Manager at our Volkswagen Dealership. It took dedication and hard work, especially given the challenge of doing business during these times. My husband is incredibly supportive of me and encourages me a lot.
“You get men who prefer to deal with a man, especially when it comes to the technical side of a vehicle. It is a small group who quickly becomes more open-minded and receptive once they realise you know your field of expertise,” she tells Dealerfloor.
“I want to encourage women to take up career opportunities in the motor trade. It is a wonderful business and a woman inspires unique confidence that is important for good customer relations.”
Asked about her management style, Noorhana says she is a firm believer in honesty, integrity and teamwork. “I do believe that this approach is already making a difference. Suzuki is doing very well so far, taking the effects of COVID-19 into account. I believe we also operate in a good price-band with our product range,” she says.
She reckons some models are difficult to get hold of at the moment, because of stock shortages owing to different lockdown measures from the countries they are imported from. “We do, however, sell a lot of S-Pressos as well as Jimnys at our dealership.”
And what does the family do when they are not busy selling new cars? “Bethlehem is a quiet town with lovely surroundings. We enjoy the region and exceptional landscape of the Eastern Free State. We have two boys who also keeps us quite busy,” she concludes.
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
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.
JAC Motors added ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) to its X200 2.8L TDI 1.5-tonne single-cab, enhancing safety for both the crew and cargo. This latest upgrade complements the ABS-equipped X200 1.3-tonne double-cab targeted at organisations with labour-intensive crews.
Advertisement
Advertisement
I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
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.
Stellantis has announced the expansion of its multi-franchise dealer network with the addition of the Fiat and Jeep brands to the existing Westvaal Motor Group dealership in Klerksdorp in North West Province.