SA's vehicle recall crisis: a call for preventative action
According to the Automobile Association (AA), South Africa's vehicle safety system is failing its citizens.
- Industry News
- 21 November 2025
Saturday (28 August) will see the launch of a new programme that will empower young drivers to become even better drivers through the MasterDrive Youth Driver Programme (MYDP).
This programme will be launched in conjunction with Castell Projects and Services and is designed to provide more advanced training to young, new drivers on the road. These drivers will learn about all the aspects that will make them confident, safe and capable drivers.
The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says: “The MYDP provides a unique opportunity for parents to ensure young drivers can access more comprehensive training. It fills the gap between the traditional K53 training and advanced driver training at a more affordable cost to parents.
“The MYDP training will teach new drivers how to raise their awareness levels so that they can understand more than what was learnt at the start. It will help new drivers to better understand the machine that they now control and why certain safety skills are so important. It also includes theory that is often overlooked when learning to drive such as what warning lights mean and how to react should one light up.”
Practical elements also form a major part of the course. “This will cover a variety of issues, from something that seems as simple as changing a tyre (but which often proves quite a different story late at night when you have never actually done it yourself) to more complex and essential safety lessons on issues such as brake distance control. The MYDP course can provide an opportunity to experience these lessons with experienced instructors by your side and in a controlled environment.”
Shamir Schloss, from Castell Projects and Services, adds: “We are extremely excited to launch the programme this week and know that it will make a difference in the safety of our young drivers. They are our future, and we need to guide them.”
It is a frightening prospect to hand a set of keys over to your child and hope that he or she will make it home again. “The MYDP course gives you the chance to do everything in your power to ensure your young adult is a safe and competent driver on the road,” says Herbert.
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