Nissan South Africa Country Director, Kabelo Rabotho, has resigned from his position at the automotive group.
Kabelo confirmed this to Dealerfloor at the SA Auto Week event in Midrand last week. He will be leaving Nissan at the end of the month.
He was appointed Nissan SA Country Director in December 2020 and, in this role, was responsible for revenue generation functions as well as being the market lead for Nissan in South Africa, reporting to Mike Whitfield, the then newly appointed managing director of Nissan’s Africa Regional Business Unit and previously managing director of both Nissan SA and Nissan Egypt.
Nissan South Africa has been tight-lipped about Rabotho’s departure and has failed to date to respond to a Dealerfloor request for comment emailed to the company last month.
Nissan SA spokesperson acknowledged Dealerfloor’s inquiry on 7 October 2023, about 10 days after it was sent, when responding to a number of questions related to the company’s employee reduction.
“We would like to acknowledge your questions regarding Nissan South Africa’s leadership and understand that you have been awaiting a response.
“We are expecting to have more information available in the coming week. As such, we appreciate your patience and assure you that Nissan South Africa will respond towards the end of next week,” she said.
On Monday, Nissan SA sent out invitations to the media for a business update by the company this week.
Rabotho’s resignation follows a shake-up in Nissan’s leadership in Africa earlier this year.
Effective from 1 April 2023, Joni Paiva was appointed as Africa President but has also continued in his current position at the time as Divisional Vice President, overseeing Sales and Marketing, India.
Sherief Eldessouky, previously Country Director for Nissan Egypt, has been appointed Managing Director of Nissan Africa.
Eldessouky replaced Mike Whitfield, who was appointed Nissan Group Strategic Advisor for Policies, Political Affairs and External Relations.
Whitfield subsequently resigned from Nissan, with Stellantis South Africa announcing on 26 September 2023 that he had been appointed its new managing director.
Nissan SA’s employee reduction plan is set to affect about 400 employees at its Rosslyn plant in Pretoria.
It has been prompted by Nissan SA’s failure to secure a second model for production by its Rosslyn plant and the fact the company is preparing to end production of its NP200 bakkie in March 2024.
Once production of the NP200 bakkie ceases, it will mean that the Rosslyn plant will be left producing only the Nissan Navara model.
Samlin Racing has announced its new Lamborghini Racing Experience tailored specifically for corporate events. This unique experience offers companies a special way to reward clients and teams, turning corporate days into unforgettable racing events.
Volkswagen Group Africa has announced the start of operations of its multifunctional facility to pilot modern farming with e-tractors in Africa. The facility is in Gashora, Rwanda, about 60 km from the capital, Kigali.
With sinister looks and a specially modified 5-litre V8, the most powerful naturally aspirated Mustang to date – the Mustang Dark Horse – will soon be unleashed in South Africa.
Advertisement
Advertisement
I always do like seeing other people dance in their cars. It's one of the things that makes me happy.
Ariel Gore
Samlin Racing has announced its new Lamborghini Racing Experience tailored specifically for corporate events. This unique experience offers companies a special way to reward clients and teams, turning corporate days into unforgettable racing events.
The naamsa Accelerator Awards, powered by WesBank, were a stunning apogee to the highly anticipated SA Auto Week 2024.
The Chinese SUV brand, Jetour, has experienced rapid growth in recent years, having sold over 1.22 million vehicles across its five product lines globally within a mere 70 months. From January to August this year, Jetour sold 310 000 vehicles, surpassing its annual sales for 2023.
