Dakar - South African crews dig deep as second week begins
The 2026 Dakar Rally roared back into action on Monday with Stage 8, a gruelling 481km loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir.
- Industry News
- 12 January 2026
Francie Lubbe has been appointed as the new General Manager of DFSK South Africa. The appointment marks the start of a bold, new chapter for the brand, which continues to expand its footprint in the country’s commercial vehicle landscape, it says in a statement.
Francie takes up this leadership role on the back of a proven track record in dealer development, national network support and the growing of numerous emerging brands in the South African automotive industry over the past 35 years.
Lubbe boasts a reputation for strengthening teams, empowering dealers and maintaining the standards required to build long-term trust.
“We are excited to welcome the energy, structure and fresh direction that Lubbe will bring to the brand. Francie’s leadership style aligns with DFSK’s mission of delivering value -driven vehicles supported by a dealership network that is trained, supported and ready for growth,” says Gina Giani, Managing Director of DFSK South Africa.
As Francie looks to ensure that DFSK South Africa continues to build a stable, trusted presence in the market, there will be a strong focus on strengthening the DFSK dealership network, enhancing brand consistency and customer experience, driving aligned marketing and communications strategies and supporting product introduction and training initiatives.
“I am excited to step into this role at such a pivotal time for DFSK. The brand has enormous potential, and I look forward to working with our dealer network to unlock that potential,” she says.
DFSK recently celebrated its first birthday and during that time the company has substantially expanded its presence across South Africa into a network of 24 dealers.
The 2026 Dakar Rally roared back into action on Monday with Stage 8, a gruelling 481km loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir.
Over thirty firms from across the automotive supply chain have joined forces to advance open-source software development, aiming to create next-generation vehicles while driving down costs, Germany’s leading industry association announced recently.
The African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) says 2026 will be a year of progressive development through collaboration.