The 2021 Kia Dealer of the Year Awards – for the period July 2020 to June 2021 – were held digitally and were headlined by Kia South Africa’s CEO, Gary Scott.

The most prestigious award of the night, that of Kia Dealer of the Year, went to Kia Umhlanga. With three Gold Awards (Parts, Fleet Sales and Sales), Dealer Principal Danny Govender and his team’s successes ranked highest in this year’s awards and they walked away with the coveted prize.

“Kia Umhlanga didn’t just go the extra mile this year, they went an extra thousand miles. Our trading conditions are more challenging than ever, so Kia Umhlanga’s ability to deliver on every level is a tremendous achievement,” says Gary.

The Kia CSI Dealer of the Year awards recognise those dealerships that have consistently delivered a superior customer experience and satisfaction. Based on dealership size, Gold Awards were presented to Kia East Rand, Kia Hermanus and Kia Paarl. Silver Awards were handed over to Kia Northcliff, Kia Pietermaritzburg and Kia Vryheid, with Bronze Awards going to Kia Sandton, Kia Gold Reef and Kia Queenstown.

The next set of awards, Kia Service Operations Dealer of the Year, considered dealerships’ investment in training as well as their facilities, their variable margin performance, warranty management and the relationship between their customers and Kia South Africa.

The winners were:

• Category A: Kia Durban South (Gold); Kia Randburg (Silver) and Kia Weltevreden Park (Bronze).
• Category B: Kia Pietermaritzburg (Gold); Kia Bethlehem (Silver) and Kia Gold Reef (Bronze).
• Category C: Kia Upington (Gold); Kia Queenstown (Silver) and Kia Vryheid (Bronze)

The Kia Parts Dealer of the Year awards are based on parts purchase achievement against target, as well as share contribution to the Kia business. A successful parts dealership continuously educates customers on the use of genuine parts and the benefits of skilled workmanship and specialised tooling.

The winners were:

• Category A: Kia Umhlanga (Gold); Kia Polokwane (Silver) and Kia Centurion (Bronze).
• Category B: Kia Middelburg (Gold); Kia Gold Reef (Silver) and Kia Port Shepstone (Bronze).
• Category C: Kia Jeffreys Bay (Gold); Kia Vryheid (Silver) and Kia Queenstown (Bronze).
• All Category C: Polokwane (Gold); Kia Port Shepstone (Silver) and Kia Queenstown (Bronze).

For the Kia Accessories Sales Dealer of the Year, those dealerships that went above and beyond in retailing accessories to customers were recognised.

The winners were:

The fifth award of the night went to the Kia Training Compliance and Completion Dealer of the Year. The standout dealerships displayed a commitment to completion of training, overall participation and engagement during training sessions and the number of certified Sales Executives per dealer, among other measurables.

The winners were:

• Category A: Kia Durban South (Gold).
• Category B: Kia Alberton (Gold).
• Category C: Kia Paarl (Gold).
• Across all categories: Gold award (tie): Kia Umhlanga and Kia East Rand; Kia Centurion (Silver).

Fleet and Corporate Sales are a crucial part of many dealerships’ success and often require months of relationship building before orders are secured. The Kia Fleet Sales Dealer of the Year awards were determined, based on the number of fleet sales generated during the previous financial year. Additional points were awarded to the top 5 dealerships based on the number of model variants sold, as well as the number of corporate clients sold to.

The winners were:

For the Kia Sales Dealer of the Year, dealerships were measured on their sales-to-target achievement for the year and not outright volume sales achievement.

The winners were:

• Category A: Kia Umhlanga (Gold); Kia Pinetown (Silver) and Kia Durban South (Bronze).
• Category B: Kia Springs (Gold); Kia Gqeberha (Silver) and Kia Bryanston (Bronze).
• Category C: Kia Umlazi (Gold) and Kia Nigel (Silver).

This year, Kia South Africa introduced a new series of awards, the Kia Inspiration Awards, that highlight those star performers who inspired their colleagues with their sales achievements, service delivery and training completion and compliance, a cornerstone of Kia’s success strategy.

The winners were:

• Service Advisor of the Year: Carla King (Kia Hermanus)
• Service Manager of the Year: Terrence Moodley (Kia Pietermaritzburg)

Sales Executive of the Year:

• Category A: Christo Pruis (Kia East Rand)

• Category B: Stuart King (Kia Hermanus)

• Category C: Thabiso Hlabeli (Kia Vanderbijlpark)

Sales Manager of the Year:

• Category A: Andre Collinette (Kia Pinetown)

• Category B: Abdullah Rajah (Kia Springs)

• Category C: Eric Mthethwa (Kia Umlazi)

Training Compliance and Completion:

• Category A: Joey van der Merwe (Kia East Rand)

• Category B: Duncan Boya (Kia Alberton)

• Category C: Gerard Wilson (Kia Paarl)