Tornado wreakes havoc at dealership

Serious damage was caused to Westvaal Motor Group’s Isuzu and Suzuki dealership in Welkom when a tornado hit the town this past Sunday shortly after midday. The estimated damage to the dealership could exceed a million rand.

25 Tornado1

Piet Botha, Dealer Principal at the well-known landmark dealership in the Circle City, tells Dealerfloor that the damage was caused at both the new and used vehicle showrooms with the big 10 x 10 metre windows blown out and damage to the roof that saw large parts of the ceiling collapse.

The workshop’s roller door was also ripped off and the outside washing bay totally collapsed. In the front of the dealership, the forecourt experienced severe damage, especially on the shop side. The forecourt is, however, not part of Westvaal’s operation.

25 Tornado2
25 Tornado3
25 Tornado4
25 Tornado5
25 Tornado2
25 Tornado3
25 Tornado4
25 Tornado5

“We are still busy repairing the affected areas, and the huge glass panels are being re-assembled in Gauteng. Notwithstanding the damage, we are open for business from sales to services as well as our parts division, and customers are more than welcome to visit us,” Piet says.

  • Welkom’s emergency services were not spared the impact of the tornado devastating the local fire brigade’s building housing, among others, the fire trucks and other emergency units, a school, other businesses and a number of houses.

Dealerfloor wishes Westvaal and others affected all the best in getting everything up and running again.

More Dealer News stories

The local car market: what dealers need to know in 2025

The local car market: what dealers need to know in 2025

SA's automotive market is shifting. Hybrid sales nearly doubled in 2024, EV views surged 77%, and sedan sales continued to slide, dropping 13.57%. Here’s how these trends can drive dealership strategies forward.

  • 3 February 2025
Hyundai N1 City took top honours

Hyundai N1 City took top honours

New Year is over, but there were extended celebrations in the Cape after Hyundai N1 City was awarded the 2024 Dealer of the Year prize at Hyundai Automotive South Africa’s annual dealer conference at Sun City.

  • 24 January 2025