With an approach of “happy staff makes for happy customers equals happy results”, Riki Carriem, believes this to be the underlying success of his business.
Riki, owner and Dealer Principal of GWM Haval Cape Gate and Chery Cape Gate as well as the same combo of dealerships in Somerset West, says investment in your personnel is first and foremost to having a successful business or in his case, vehicle dealerships.
“I have four Sales Managers who take charge at each of the dealerships and report to me. Structure and discipline are of utmost importance. In short, any business needs law and order,” says Riki who was recently awarded the number one spot in the mega category of Absa’s Golden Partner awards.
“It was an important award for us as the relationship stretches over decades from my first business in the panel beating industry and later venturing into the motor retail trade to my current position. I put all my eggs in one basket and have never been sorry about that,” Riki tells Dealerfloor.
Asked about the performance of the Chinese brands his business represents, he says that in terms of quality, price and technology, the brands are right there up with the best. “I have been involved as owner of established volume brand dealerships in the past, and I can honestly tell you that Chinese manufacturers have not only caught up but have in many cases surpassed the competitors.”
Riki says if you take, for instance, industries like television and mobile phone manufacturers, the original, trusted established names disappeared after some time.
“Look who are the dominate forces in these and other industries today. Mostly Chinese brands leading the way with technology, quality and cost. The vehicle manufacturing industry is in essence no different from the above-mentioned industries,” Riki tells Dealerfloor.
He tells us the acceptance of the GWM Haval and Chery products in the Western Cape and specifically the region where their dealerships are located, is overwhelming. “We have a growing population with large numbers of people migrating to the Cape and more opportunities and more people are good for the growth of our business or any business for that matter.”
On the topic of electric vehicles (EVs), Riki believes it is the future and that hybrid vehicles are a good way to educate customers about driving a fully electric vehicle one day. “I drive a Haval H6 Hybrid and the savings in fuel costs are substantial.
“We must realise it is a question of commercial vs environment. With the pressure on the environment and the demand for lower or no emissions, the future of motoring will go the electric way,” concludes Riki.
Volkswagen is abandoning its separate electric vehicle naming convention, opting instead to align its battery-electric models with established combustion engine nameplates. The German automaker announced that the strategy shift would begin with the ID Polo, set to debut in 2026.
Europe's automotive industry has issued a unified call for the European Union (EU) to recalibrate its green transition strategy, with leading manufacturers and suppliers expressing growing concerns about the feasibility of current electrification timelines and regulatory frameworks.
South African business sentiment deteriorated further in the third quarter of 2025, falling one point to reach 39, well below the long-term benchmark of 42 points, as punitive US tariffs took their toll on exporters, Reuters reported on Wednesday
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You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
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“We are ready to hit the road with DFSK and will celebrate the official opening of the East London DFSK dealership on 6th September,” says Melanie Herman, owner and Dealer Principal of the new facility in the Eastern Cape city.
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.
Hyundai Motor Group has officially announced Hyundai Pinetown as one of Global Top 100 Dealers of the Year, recognising the dealership’s remarkable performance, customer-centric innovation and market leadership in a highly competitive industry.
