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
Mazda Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd celebrated its seventh anniversary on 1 October as an independent national sales and service company and distributor of Mazda products.
Retail sales kicked off with a Mazda3 1.6 Dynamic 5dr as the very first vehicle to be sold during 2014 when Mazda re-invented itself after parting ways with Ford.
The first month of trading during 2014 saw 306 vehicles being retailed. Ever since, the most preferred exterior colour among our Mazda customers was, and still is, Mazda’s exclusive Soul Red Crystal. The most popular vehicle, in the 7 years of sales the Mazda CX-5, has sold 25 080 since its launch in 2014 locally.

Some of the proud moments in Mazda’s recent history locally, are:
“An independent Mazda in Southern Africa has allowed us to re-establish and re-ignite the strong heritage and legacy that Mazda and its cars have always had in the South African market. The incredible product that Mazda Corporation continues to produce, and the amazing partnerships we have with our Dealer Partners and all our stakeholders, have made it possible to continuously grow the Mazda Brand since becoming independent seven years ago,” reckons Craig Roberts, MD of Mazda Southern Africa.
“We commend our Dealer Partners for the immense contribution they make in our business. They are seen as our customers – everything we do will focus on them being the centre of our operations, processes and interactions, enabling them to deliver exceptional experiences to their customers, our Mazda owners,” Craig says.
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.