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- Industry News
- 9 July 2025
It all started sixty years ago when Bloemfontein businessman, Barnie Human, founded the Human Auto Group.
His main goal was to provide customers with an excellent product and superior services. Till today, his Ford dealerships in Bloemfontein, Welkom, Kimberley and Ficksburg carry this motto as is evident from the rewards reaped at annual Ford Awards for 2019.
Not only did Human Auto receive the award for the Best Ford Group in the Blue Oval stable, but Human Auto Welkom scooped up a couple of individual awards as well.
Human Auto Welkom’s Workshop Manager, Kattie Griesel, is the winner in the categories for “Fixed It Right First Time” and for Customer Satisfaction, while he also received the runner-up award for Best Workshop Manager. Kattie has been with Human Auto Welkom for the past 13 years and previously at Mercedes-Benz.
Another winner from Human Auto Welkom is Elsabé Janse van Vuuren, who was runner-up in the category for Best F&I. She has been with the group for the past 15 years.
Human Auto Welkom also received the runner-up award for the Best Dealer in recognition for Retail Excellence Performance in 2019. The awards were accepted by the dealer principal of Human Auto Welkom, Pierre Beukes, who have been with the company for 21 years.
“I am very proud of our team and everyone’s performance, also our colleagues at the other Human Auto branches,” Pierre told Dealerfloor.
The Thorp Motor Group did the official breaking of new ground for its latest and most ambitious development yet – a brand-new Motor City in Sandown that will bring four of the Group’s leading vehicle brands together under one roof.
One of the topics that comes up often when I write articles is “waste” within a dealership. Quite often, expenses are cut when times are challenging but often, waste is confused with expenditure.
The story of Gabisile Fakude will surely be an inspiration for many who have an eye on the automotive industry as a career, especially for those who have not traditionally been associated with this world as a career path.