The BOTY Awards drill down to three nominees drawn from the three top performing dealerships across five categories.

Now in its 22nd year, the BOTY Awards honour the exceptional performance of managers and their teams at dealerships. It is the only independent validation of dealerships’ profitability. MSX International (MSX) measures the financial performance of over 1 500 South African franchised dealers and recognise the top performers across five categories.

An additional award is presented in a category named Most Improved Performance Group Member.

Athol Quin, MSX International Director: South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa, said: “To have been nominated as a finalist and won awards in this period is a phenomenal achievement. Automotive retail went through a difficult period at the onset of the hard lockdown in March last year. I am amazed at how the industry has adjusted and adapted to what is happening in the economy.”

Marcia Mayaba, Vice Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA), who was a co-presenter at the awards, said: “Despite extremely trying times, dealers were able to triumph through the most adverse times. They were able to innovate, show leadership and commitment and still succeed. What a time to be alive, from the studio, virtually presenting these prestigious awards to an amazing group of dealers.”

The winners and runners-up in each category:

Independent Dealership of the Year winner: Mafikeng Toyota & Hino.

Joseph Lewis, Dealer Principal, dedicated the award to every person working at the dealership. When asked what he found important in his leadership over these trying times, he said: “Honesty in everything we do is an imperative. Sticking to the basics is also a key to our success.”

• Runners-up: Coast Volkswagen and Midbay Motors.
• Runners-up: Makopane Volkswagen and CMH East Rand.
• Runners-up: BB Auto Polokwane and Motor Holdings Francistown
• Runners-up: Audi Centre Hatfield and SMG Hillcrest.
• Runners-up: Hino Buffalo and Hino Pietermaritzburg.
• Runners-up: Oudtshoorn Nissan and Suzuki FCA Menlyn.
• Runners-up: BB Auto Polokwane and Motor Holdings Francistown.

Listed Group of the Year: McCarthy Volkswagen Arcadia.

“Communicating with everyone in the dealership about what the objectives are, keeping an eye on costs on a daily basis, and making adjustments as we went along, made all the difference,” said Stephan Delport the Dealer Principal. Communicating on a regular basis and measuring every metric, every day, is what kept this dealership on track.

Private Group of the Year winner: NTT Toyota Groblersdal.

“We took the NOW approach of it’s not just now, it’s not now now, it’s right now. And it has paid off,” was Dealer Principal, Neille Faber’s comment on their achievement.

Luxury Dealership of the Year: Audi Centre Arcadia.

This category saw Audi dealerships placed first and second, with Audi Centre Arcadia again winning the award. Phillip Clough, Dealer Principal, paid tribute to his team. “We benchmarked our performance from the preceding year, pre-COVID, and the result is that we managed to exceed the previous year, achieving real growth year-on-year. Everyone jumped on board. I am privileged to have an experienced, stable and successful team.”

Commercial Vehicle Dealership of the Year winner: Hino Algoa.

Hino dealerships swept the top three awards this year with Hino Algoa coming out on top. William Whitefield, Dealer Principal, said they had one focus and that was to keep the team inspired and motivated throughout the lockdown.

“We brought humour into our lives, spent time with individuals, paying an interest in their lives at all times. Commercial Vehicles is a highly specialised environment, and the team showed resilience in tough times. The team is young and worked 24/7, pushing through unprecedented times,” he says.

Most Improved Performance Group Member Award: Suzuki Rustenburg.

This category is measured on continuous improvement on its return on assets (ROA). Upon receiving the award, Anzo Ashcroft said that he was “honoured and felt very blessed and grateful at winning this category”. He went on to say that they made specific cultural changes at the dealership inculcating integrity and innovation into everything they did. It was a true team effort, he reckons.

Overall BOTY Dealer of the Year winner: NTT Toyota Groblersdal.

“Thank you, MSX and the other sponsors, for this honour,” said Neille Faber, Dealer Principal, who elatedly accepted the award and paid tribute to the whole team at NTT Toyota Groblersdal, friends of the dealership as well as the community. “All praise goes to the expert team, each employee who embraced the NOW slogan, and focused on those things within our control. If it were not for the team embracing the challenge of NOW, this would not have been the result,” concluded Faber.