Motorsport in South Africa and Africa has received a significant boost with the appointment of MSA Chairman, Anton Roux, to the Senate of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
Anton was nominated by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and elected to the Senate almost exactly three years after his election as Chairman of Motorsport South Africa (MSA), a position in which he will remain.
He is one of four new members of the highest authority of the FIA, and he joins notable other businesspeople and motorsport specialists, including Toyota Global President Akio Toyoda, Carlos Slim of Mexico and His Royal Highness Faisal Al Hussein of Jordan.
“It is a singular honour to be elected to the Senate of the FIA. As the only African on the Senate, I fully realise my responsibility to use this position, not only to serve global motorsport, but to advance the motorsport interests of our continent,” says Anton.
“I have been tasked to bring my knowledge of audit, risk and compliance to bear on the future management of the FIA and have made it known that I will use the opportunity to develop motorsport beyond South Africa’s borders and fight for the inclusion of Africa on the Formula 1 calendar.”
As part of these goals, Roux is personally supporting a new karting series for Africans that will travel across the continent to grow the interest in the sport and identify talented racers for further development.
“In our initial research, we have found clubs and tracks in countries like Namibia, Kenya and even Madagascar. I believe that this new karting series will help grow our beloved sport of motor racing across the continent,” he says.
“Research conducted by Motorsport South Africa as early as the nineties have shown that the income from tourism, VAT and the general marketing of South Africa outstrips the investment in the sport by many multiples. I am confident that we will see the pinnacle of motorsport returning to South Africa soon,” says Anton.
Roux is also the owner and CEO of RS Autosport, a specialist Porsche and classic vehicle service and restoration centre in Johannesburg.
RS Autosport is renowned for its restoration capabilities, and it currently has Porsche models ranging from 1958 to 2020 that it is servicing, repairing, restoring to showroom or concourse condition or restoring and updating for clients as far afield as Hong Kong, Germany and Canada.
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A light on my car’s dashboard came on, and instead of fixing the problem, I waited for the bulb to burn out. Crisis solved.
Jarod Kintz
BAIC South Africa has confirmed that the all-new BAIC B30 SUV will be assembled locally at the company’s Coega facility in Gqeberha. This step, says BAIC, marks another significant step in the brand’s long-term commitment to the South African market.
Messe Frankfurt expands its roster of shows with a Festival of Motoring in Australia and industry shows in Jakarta and Azerbaijan.
In South Africa, a car is more than a convenience, it’s a lifeline. For many, it’s how they get to work, take children to school, or keep small businesses running, especially when public transport often falls short.
