Kimberley might have received good rains during December and January, but in the broader region, a large part of the agricultural sector is still on its knees after years of severe drought.
So says Johan Booysen, Dealer Principal at Morgan Nissan/Datsun & Renault in the Northern Cape capital city of Kimberley.
“Farming is a huge contributor to Kimberley and the surrounding towns’ economies. On the positive side, we are looking at a good season owing to the rainfall in certain areas. On the negative side in some regions you see desolated farms, no animals and the environment bears the scars of the long-lasting drought.
“I am optimistic, but in terms of crops we still need to see the extent of the output in the next couple of months and the same applies to livestock farmers with new arrivals expected soon and towards the end of the year,” says Johan.
“On the Nissan side, bakkies are big business in any farming community. The shrinking demand in the agricultural sector, because of the drought, and the normal stock shortages owing to the COVID-19 pandemic are bad for business. Add to that the time lapse between the availability of our new Navara range, which for the first time will include workhorse variants, and the demise of the NP300 did not do us any favours.
Johan says if all goes to plan with good yields from the farming community, they can make up lost ground with the new bakkie offering, winning back customers and bringing about a turn-around to about 75% of their pre-COVID sales, which are now substantially less.
“On the Renault side, the Duster, especially the diesel models, are immensely popular with customers who stay in rural areas and people having to drive dirt roads. The Kwid, on the entry level side, receives great support from first time buyers.
“With Kimberley being the capital city, it has a lot of state departments, and we get good support from these entities. The problem is getting to clients, showing vehicles, following up leads and getting all the paperwork done, owing to COVID restrictions and many people working from home,” Johan says.
Asked about the workshop, he says it is up and down and they are putting in a huge effort in this regard. “One of the problems we face is the tourism and vehicle rental industry, which under normal circumstances bring in a lot of business. Now there is not much going on, and we hope for a speedy recovery of this industry.”
He says the mining industry is also a big player in Kimberley, but in most cases the industry has contracts with certain manufacturers as mines also do some of the servicing of their fleets themselves.
Talking about the dealership itself, Johan - born and bred in Kimberley – has been the dealer principal for the last 13 years. The dealership itself was part of Imperial but was bought by the Morgan Group in 2019.
The dealership and some of its staff members have, over the years, snapped up numerous awards, from both the Nissan/Datsun and Renault sides being awarded Dealer of the Year for 2019 by its then owners, Imperial.
Johan says they have a good solid staff component, and both the Parts Manager and Workshop Manager are women. “They bring calmness and leadership to the different departments and both have excellent admin skills. One of our employees, Greta Lekoma, a cashier has more than 27 years of service at the dealership and that is an excellent accomplishment,” says Johan.
“To be involved in our community is essential. People must know we are not here to only make money but to plough back into the community, which has supported us over many decades. On a personal level, I am involved with different NGOs and I am a director of one working with people with disabilities.
“With all the strange circumstances we find ourselves in today, we have to stay on our knees not to be forced to our knees,” Johan concludes.
As we all know, the profit of a motor dealership comes from several areas and each of them needs to be monitored closely if you want to ensure that your dealership performs well.
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
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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
As we all know, the profit of a motor dealership comes from several areas and each of them needs to be monitored closely if you want to ensure that your dealership performs well.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
One of the latest Chinese automotive brands to establish itself in South Africa, GAC Motor, is benefitting from the expertise of well-known motor groups in the country, like the BB Motor Group.
