Dakar 2026 tough on South African participants
The 2026 Dakar Rally delivered one of the most thrilling and competitive editions of the world’s toughest off‑road endurance race.
- Industry News
- 19 January 2026
Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) is ecstatic to have walked away with four awards at the Naamsa Accelerator Awards.
The awards include the Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicle of the Year in the category of New Vehicle Sales, awarded to the Mercedes-Benz Actros. This is the second consecutive year that the Mercedes-Benz Actros has received this award.
DTSA also received three other awards: the WesBank Transformation Performance Award for achieving B-BBEE Level 1, the WesBank Transformation Performance Award for the most improved B-BBEE Scorecard, and it received recognition for its contribution to society in the advancement and development of local communities.
DTSA is a proud member of naamsa and once again participated in Africa’s leading and pre-eminent annual automotive thought-leadership event, the third Naamsa SA Auto Week, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre last week.
The much-anticipated event brought together automotive industry leaders, global OEMs, vehicle component manufacturers and suppliers, international investors, policymakers, lawmakers, decision-makers, regulatory bodies and journalists across the entire automotive value chain.

This provided an opportunity for crucial discussions and engagements to contribute towards the sector’s growth and sustainability. Aligned with the event’s theme, “Reimagining the Future Together: Celebrating 100 Years of Automotive Heritage, Passion, Resilience and Ingenuity”, DTSA showcased its remarkable journey from the past to the present with the legacy Mercedes-Benz 1418 Truck and the latest fully battery-electric eActros 300.
“The Naamsa SA Auto Week was once again a highlight event for DTSA, and we commend their entire team for pulling off yet another very successful conference,” says Maretha Gerber, President and Group CEO of Daimler Truck Southern Africa.
She continues: “DTSA has a clear commitment towards driving sustainable transport with its goal to offer CO2-neutral products by 2050 and welcomed President Ramaphosa’s announcement at the naamsa event that the government is considering new incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) to make EVs more accessible to the market.”
She concludes: “Walking away with four awards at the NAAMSA Accelerator Awards evening was another highlight for our company and is a testament to our team’s hard work and commitment to the automotive industry and driving it forward into the future.”
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