“You must embrace every lead and every clue to close a deal. You must do everything within your power to retain clients and keep them interested and happy even if you cannot supply them immediately with a specific vehicle.
So says Derick Lochner, Dealer Principal at Vredendal Toyota, on the border of Namaqualand and the West Coast region in the north-western part of the Western Cape.
“With the shortage of certain models owing to the interruption of the international supply chain, we have to pamper relationships with our customers. We do our utmost to assist clients and source specific vehicles from other dealerships if they are available,” Derick tells Dealerfloor.
“The local economy in Vredendal is dominated by the agricultural sector, with about 85% of sales coming from the farming community. It is predominantly vineyards on the banks of the Olifants River where grapes are grown for the wine industry and a smaller portion of mixed farming with livestock such as sheep.
“The ban on alcohol sales as part of the lockdown measures, hit the industry hard. When the tractors hauling grapes fell silent, the whole town took note. Now they are on the move again and there is a buzz in town about business getting back to normal, at least normal under the circumstances related to this pandemic,” Derick says.
“We have seen a tendency that, even before the arrival of COVID-19, farmers were keeping their vehicles for a longer period before replacing them. Since about two years ago, the cycle was about three years before trading in a bakkie for a new one. We are now up to four to four and a half years.
“Enough stock or rather the shortage of enough stock, could prolong or aggravate this situation. The same goes for the used-car sector where you pay a premium price for good stock but you are limited when it comes to pricing and trying to re-sell competitively. We are, however, facing the challenges that are affecting everyone in this industry head-on.
“Although bakkies are our main business based on the large agricultural sector in and around Vredendal, our other ranges remain popular like the new Corolla and especially the new Toyota Starlet, which is in demand from a price and value for money point of view,” he says.
Asked about his personal life, Derick says he grew up in the district. “I had my own business before joining the Mercedes-Benz team where I spent 15 years. I have been with Vredendal Toyota for the last year and a half now,” he tells Dealerfloor.
Vredendal Toyota is part of the Bluedust Motor Holdings Group with a sister company, Claremont Holdings Group. It has several dealerships covering different brands in Vredendal (VW, Toyota), Kuruman (Ford), Malmesbury (Haval, Kia), Outshoorn (Ford), Claremont (Audi, VW), West Coast (Ford), and Table View (VW). It is owned by two brothers, Joubert and Hendrik Roux.
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.
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If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.
Bob Hooey
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.
DFSK hit the road in the Eastern Cape recently with the official opening of the East London DFSK dealership on 6 September.
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.
