South Africa’s top-performing Finance and Insurance (F&I) professionals in the automotive retail sector were recognised at the annual Lightstone Star Reacher F&I Awards recently.
“F&I professionals remain at the centre of dealership success. They operate at the intersection of compliance, customer trust, finance and technology, often under immense pressure and within a rapidly evolving environment. The Lightstone Star Reacher F&I Awards recognise individuals and dealerships who continue to raise the standard of professionalism and customer excellence across the industry,” says Paul Marshall, Managing Director at Lightstone Auto.
Five years of measurable impact:
Powered by Lightstone’s Signio platform, Star Reacher remains one of the industry’s few fully data-driven recognition programmes, measuring performance against key operational and compliance indicators including finance application completion rates, digital workflow adoption, Know Your Customer (KYC) performance, Value-Added Products (VAP) referrals and customer engagement metrics. Marking five years since its launch in 2021, the programme’s impact is reflected in measurable industry gains:
Lightstone Star Reacher milestones: 2021-2025
This year’s awards once again highlighted the growing role that digitally enabled F&I professionals play in supporting dealership profitability, operational efficiency and customer confidence in an evolving automotive market.
“One of the most encouraging aspects of this year’s awards has been seeing how consistently F&I professionals continue adapting to changing consumer expectations, regulatory requirements and operational pressures. Their resilience and commitment to excellence are helping shape the future of automotive retail in South Africa,” Paul says.
Hosted by Lightstone Auto and endorsed by the Independent Dealer Association (IDA), the awards celebrate F&I managers who continue to raise the standard of professionalism, trust and customer experience across the automotive retail industry.
2025/2026 Winners per category:
Category |
Winner |
Dealership |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
Charles Laine |
Mit Mak Motors |
Amethyst (High volume) |
Ruane Pretorius |
Westvaal Polokwane |
Sapphire (Medium volume) |
Ria Hattingh |
Westvaal Mokopane |
Emerald (Low volume) |
Hermione Voges |
Westvaal Volkswagen Mahikeng |
Topaz (Entry volume) |
Rishi Bheemraj Somaru |
Hyundai Newcastle (Prestige Motor Group) |
2025/2026 Runners-up per category:
Category |
Runner-up |
Dealership |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
Ebrahim Mahomed |
Mobeni Multi Franchise (Prestige Motor Group) |
Amethyst (High volume) |
Gilene van Zyl |
Westvaal Polokwane |
Sapphire (Medium volume) |
Sasha-Lee Webster |
Westvaal Welkom |
Emerald (Low volume) |
Mushke van Staden |
Vehicles For All Cape Town (BB Motor Group) |
Topaz (Entry volume) |
Prudence Mogasoa |
Westvaal Mastercars Burgersfort |
Repeat winners – recognising consistency
Category |
Winner |
Dealership |
Times won |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
Charles Laine |
Mit Mak Motors |
4 consecutive years |
Amethyst (High volume) |
Ruane Pretorius |
Westvaal Polokwane |
4 consecutive years |
Sapphire (Medium volume) |
Ria Hattingh |
Westvaal Mokopane |
3 consecutive years |
Emerald (Low volume) |
Hermione Voges |
Westvaal Volkswagen Mahikeng |
4 consecutive years |
Expanded award categories:
A key highlight of the 2026 Lightstone Star Reacher F&I Awards is the expansion of the programme to include several new categories, broadening recognition beyond traditional performance measures to celebrate growth, innovation and business excellence. The expanded awards create more opportunities to recognise dealerships, dealer groups and industry leaders who are setting new benchmarks for customer value, compliance excellence, digital adoption and commercial success.
Vehicle Asset Finance (VAF) performance award:
In partnership with MFC.
Category |
Winner |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
WeBuyCars Dome |
Amethyst (High volume) |
Vehicles For All (BB Motor Group) |
Sapphire (Medium volume) |
Joe's Auto |
Emerald (Low volume) |
Kle-Auto World |
Topaz (Entry volume) |
Velocity Cars |
VAF growth award:
Category |
Winner |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
Haval The Glen (IPOP Motor Group) |
Amethyst (High volume) |
AutoCity Kia Heidelberg |
VAP adoption award:
In partnership with MySure.
Category |
Winner |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
WeBuyCars Dome |
Amethyst (High volume) |
Westvaal Polokwane |
Sapphire (Medium volume) |
Westvaal Welkom |
Emerald (Low volume) |
Westvaal Volkswagen Mahikeng |
Topaz (Entry volume) |
Cars.Com2 |
VAP Growth Award:
Category |
Winner |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
Haval The Glen (IPOP Motor Group) |
Amethyst (High volume) |
AutoCity Kia Heidelberg |
Insurance lead performance award:
In partnership with Bsure.
Category |
Winner |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
Mobeni Multi Franchise (Prestige Motor Group) |
Amethyst (High volume) |
Westvaal Polokwane |
Sapphire (Medium volume) |
Westvaal Mokopane |
Emerald (Low volume) |
Hyundai Newcastle (Prestige Motor Group) |
Topaz (Entry volume) |
Pietersburg Motor Centre |
Digital compliance award:
In partnership with Contactable.
Category |
Winner |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
CMH Toyota Alberton |
Amethyst (High volume) |
Vehicles For All (BB Motor Group) |
Sapphire (Medium volume) |
CMH Mazda Menlyn Used |
Emerald (Low volume) |
Westvaal Volkswagen Mahikeng |
Topaz (Entry volume) |
CMH Hatfield Tata |
Compliance growth award:
Category |
Winner |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
SMG Chery Umhlanga |
Amethyst (High volume) |
Koos and Mike Cars |
RiskMonitor Growth Award
Category |
Winner |
Ruby (Mega volume) |
Mobeni Multi Franchise (Prestige Motor Group) |
Topaz (Entry volume) |
Toyota Lynnwood Taxi (Bidvest McCarthy) |
Group growth excellence award:
Award |
Winner |
Group Growth Excellence Award |
Auto Investments Motor Group |
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