The Eastvaal Motor Group has added Kia and Renault to its existing portfolio in Secunda and revamped its Ford and Mazda dealership as part of the process.
Share with friends
With this move, the two new brands in town found themselves at the same premises as the Ford/Mazda dealership with the previous used car part of the dealership also completely revamped to accommodate the new brands. The used cars are now housed under a new, separate canopy structure on the premises.
“We are excited about the two new brands here as part of our bigger multi-franchise dealership,” Phillip Els, Dealer Principal, tells Dealerfloor.
“Our dealership now has Ford on the one side of the building, then the entrance to the service centre and on the other side the showroom floors for Mazda, Kia and Renault. We also had to appoint more staff, and each brand now boasts its own manager. We have a new service manager, overseeing the different service departments of all four brands.”
Phillip Els, Dealer Principal at Eastvaal in Secunda.
Phillip says Renault is basically the group’s dealership in Bethal relocating to Secunda with UD Trucks and Nissan still in place doing business in Bethal. “Kia is a new franchise for us but both it and Renault are making their debuts in Secunda.
“Both the new brands will have to make inroads into this community, and we are working hard to increase their footprint here. Owing to their absence, the car parc out there is not huge, but we intend to change that,” he tells us.
He says their area of responsibility for all the brands cover more or less the same region, including towns like Evander, Bethal, Kinross, Kriel and Balfour. With the Secunda and the surrounding towns known for their mining activities and related industries, they also service a large farming community. “Agriculture is an integral part of this area on the Highveld with large mixed farming activities in the region,” Phillip tells Dealerfloor.
“Secunda is expanding with new suburbs developing, and Sasol is playing a vital role in the local economy in terms of job creation and growth. The other industries, especially mining, are also crucial role players in this region. With Ford and the focus on bakkies it is a no brainer that mining and the agricultural sector form an important customer base for us,” Phillip says.
Asked if the addition of two more brands bring challenges, Phillip says definitely so, but with the infrastructure of the dealership and staff in place, they are ready to expand the brands in this part of the country.
Eastvaal Motors was founded in 1968 and currently has 28 brands in the 12 dealerships and is continuing to expand its footprint, brands and products. It has a very strong presence in the Mpumalanga Highveld region but it also has dealerships elsewhere.
For decades, buying a car has been as much about emotion as practicality. Shiny brochures, polished showroom floors and persuasive sales talk often overshadowed the cold, hard numbers of ownership. But today, where information is currency, consumers are no longer satisfied with glossy marketing – they want data, and they want it now.
According to a Reuters report, South Africa is engaged in discussions with Chinese automotive manufacturers to encourage local investment, with at least one company showing considerable interest in establishing production facilities in the country, a senior government official revealed on Wednesday.
Nissan says the latest wave of launches from the brand in South Africa supports Nissan’s long-standing commitment to the country, underpinned by more than 60 years of local presence.
The stories shared at the 2025 Tata Dealer Conference in South Africa, weren’t just tales of sales success. They were case studies in how local business development happens when a network is built on mentorship, innovation and long-term commitment and partnerships.
Chery had a busy time over the last couple of weeks. Not only did it pull off a unique crash test with two Chery Tiggo 9s, the first of its kind locally, but it also awarded its top performing dealers during its national dealer conference held at Nasrec.