It looks like the Hugo brothers in Vredenburg cannot put a foot wrong when it comes to selling Suzukis.
The brothers took home the silverware at the recent Suzuki Dealer of the Year Awards as the best rural dealer, and they will soon open a second Suzuki floor in Malmesbury, about 100 km from their home base in Vredenburg.
“We are proud of and honoured by the award. It is the first time that we have managed to win this award,” says Ernest Hugo, Dealer Principal and co-owner of Suzuki Vredenburg. “We have worked hard across all spectrums of the business to meet or exceed the required criteria, and the hard work has definitely paid off. Keeping our customers happy and working with dedicated staff are the foundations of our success.
Ernest tells Dealerfloor the new dealership for Malmesbury will be ready for business in September. His brother and co-owner of their business, Wynand, will be the new Dealer Principal. Wynand is currently the Sales Manager at Suzuki Vredenburg.
The two brothers are operating under the Hugo & Hugo holding company name. This unique company name originated with from their father and grandfather’s business, which started many decades ago in 1974 with the Toyota dealership in town.
“Our family has always been in the motor trade. In 2011, my father sold the Toyota dealership, and we kept on trading in used vehicles until 2015. It was then that our paths crossed with Suzuki, and we have never looked back,” says Ernest.
Ernest says they are still trading today from the same premises where his father and grandfather started their business, although the facilities underwent a number of changes over the years. “Our location is good, and everyone knows where the original Hugo & Hugo was.
“The used vehicle market is still very important to us, and we are also looking at an opportunity to set up a used car dealership in one of the surrounding towns soon and expanding our existing one at the current dealership.”
Ernest says they sell most of their new and used vehicles to customers in their area, which includes surrounding towns such as Saldanha, Velddrif, Paternoster, Langebaan and other adjacent towns in the Northern Cape. “In our area here on the West Coast, the economic drivers are mainly the fishing industry and people relocating from Gauteng, either retiring or working from home.
“The flow of stock seems to be getting better and at least we are able to supply stock of our best sellers like the Suzuki Swift and Suzuki Vitara Brezza to customers. Suzuki’s reputation for reliability, good warranty and service plans, competitive prices and economic fuel consumption contributes to the brand’s popularity on the West Coast,” he tells Dealerfloor.
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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.
Daniel Pink
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.
