UDTSA brought together dealer principals, business leaders, and key stakeholders from across Southern Africa and the broader African continent for its Annual Importer and Dealer Conference held recently.
CMH Commercial Pinetown is UD Trucks Southern Africa (UDTSA) new Dealer of the Year, while recipients of other major awards were UD Trucks Lichtenburg taking the Service Dealer of the Year (Medium) award; McCarthy Commercial Vehicles Alrode scooping up the Service Dealer of the Year Award in the Large category and UD Trucks Ermelo walking await with the Medium Dealer of the Year title.
UDTSA brought together dealer principals, business leaders, and key stakeholders from across Southern Africa and the broader African continent for its Annual Importer and Dealer Conference held at Sun City Resort recently.
This year's conference marked a significant milestone for the organisation. For the first time, the opening day was dedicated exclusively to Sub Saharan African (SSA) Markets, reflecting UD Trucks Southern Africa's commitment to expanding its footprint across the African continent and supporting its long-term growth ambitions towards 2030.
The dedicated SSA Markets programme created a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and strategic alignment among partners from the continent, reinforcing the importance of Africa in the company's future growth strategy.
Speaking at the conference, Fabrice Gorlier, Senior Vice President International Sales at UD Trucks, highlighted the critical role played by the dealer network in delivering sustainable business success.
"As customer expectations and the transport industry continue to evolve, our dealer network remains one of our strongest competitive advantages. By driving network excellence, strengthening capabilities, and expanding our market presence, we are positioning ourselves to capitalise on the significant growth opportunities emerging across the region.”
A highlight of the SSA Markets programme was the recognition of top-performing professionals through the UD Champions initiative. The awards celebrate excellence across key dealership functions, including service advisory, technical expertise, parts sales and driver training, reinforcing the critical role that competence and customer focus play in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
At the event, the region's highest-performing dealerships was also awarded. Motruck Eswatini received the SSA Markets Medium Importer of the Year award and Nors Namibia the prestigious SSA Markets Importer of the Year.
Reflecting on the significance of the conference, Filip Van den Heede, Managing Director of UD Trucks Southern Africa, says that the Annual Importer and Dealer Conference remain one of the most important platforms for aligning the network around a shared vision, strengthening collaboration, and recognising those who consistently deliver excellence.
“As we continue to evolve our business and expand our presence across Southern Africa and the broader African continent, our dealers remain at the heart of our success. Their unwavering commitment to our customers, our products, and our brand enables us to deliver on our promise of Going the Extra Mile every day, while positioning us for sustainable growth in the years ahead," Flip says.
Commenting on the significance of the dedicated SSA Markets focus, Graham Kolm, General Manager: SSA Markets at UD Trucks Southern Africa, said:
Closing the event, Marle Visagie, General Manager: Retail and Competence Development at UD Trucks Southern Africa, emphasised the importance of investing in people as a key driver of long-term success.
"Strong dealerships are built by strong people. By continuously investing in competence development across our network, we equip our teams with the skills and confidence needed to support customers and adapt to an evolving transport industry. This commitment not only strengthens the customer experience but also reinforces the long-term value of investing in the UD Trucks brand,” Marle says.
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