By Monzer Tohme, Managing Director, Middle East & Africa - Keyloop
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The automotive industry is holding strong in South Africa. But there is no doubt that customer expectations are changing - fast. Consumers are used to exceptional online retail experiences, highly personalised communications, and the ability to move effortlessly on and offline.
To keep pace with modern consumers, automotive retailers need to take a forensic look at their customer experience (CX) if they are to deliver what consumers want.
Keyloop has recognised that we are in an important moment of change for the industry. Fuelled by technology, we encourage retailers to unlock data silos to obtain a 360-degree view of the consumer and transform each touchpoint across the buying and ownership journey, shifting the focus from closing a sale to opening a relationship.
We call this way of thinking Experience-First, and our technology platform has been created to empower dealerships to embrace digital transformation and deliver seamless customer journeys.
Imagine a world where the consumer can self-serve how and when they interact with you; where personalised, timely communications capture customers; where digitisation minimises errors, automates processes and frees up time to care for individuals. Thanks to Experience-First, this is the future of car buying in South Africa.
To look under the hood of Experience-First, Keyloop has published a whitepaper written by our leadership team. Titled Revolutionising automotive retail through technology, the whitepaper is an A-Z of the Experience-First approach, showcasing how you can transform your CX to meet today’s demands.
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South African business sentiment deteriorated further in the third quarter of 2025, falling one point to reach 39, well below the long-term benchmark of 42 points, as punitive US tariffs took their toll on exporters, Reuters reported on Wednesday