The coming together of two well-known forces in the vehicle retail sector will in future not only benefit dealerships, but also their customers.
The well-known Pinewood DMS SA has merged its operation selling the powerful Pinewood Dealer Management System with the after-sales services and marketing supplier Ampersand Communications to create MotifyTM – an end-to-end service provider for South African automotive dealers.
MotifyTM represents the culmination of months of intensive hard work consolidating these two businesses to ultimately offer a more comprehensive range of services without disrupting its service delivery to dealers that are currently using either business.
Both businesses are well-known in the motor industry, especially in the retail space where their operations are crucial to the effective day to day running of vehicle dealerships.
Pinewood DMS SA services more than 30 manufacturers with their dealership operating systems focusing among other things on vehicle sales, parts, the workshop and accounts, together integrating these different divisions for a lean and effective running of a dealership.
Ampersand is known for the value-add services to automotive dealerships across South Africa with the focus on customer satisfaction and retention, marketing and brand-strategy development.
With a shared vision of transforming the automotive industry through service delivery and by merging these two operations, MotifyTM believes it can accelerate this vision.
“MotifyTM will, in addition to the traditional Pinewood DMS offering, have access to a broader set of value-add services. Among the additional offerings, MotifyTM will provide, as part of this consolidated operation, are processing consultancy, proactive workshop bookings, after-sales marketing campaigns, business intelligence (BI), and API-integrated website development,” says Julie Caldicott, Managing Director of MotifyTM.
“At a time when all business sectors are undergoing radical digital transformation, the automotive sector cannot afford to be left behind. MotifyTM will help dealerships and service centres accelerate their digital transformation efforts by making their digital offerings easier to use, more integrated, and increasingly customer centric. Ultimately, that will mean increased satisfaction for your customers further building their trust and loyalty for all their vehicle needs.”
Julie says MotifyTM has the potential to fundamentally transform the way auto-dealerships operate and to put people at the heart of the industry.
Ultimately, MotifyTM is not only about a better service, but a more comprehensive service.
Learn more about MotifyTM here: https://www.motify.co.za/ .
Charging time remains a worry for many South Africans considering an electric vehicle, who still see it as a disruption rather than a quick stop at a filling station. That view is starting to shift.
The winners of the 2026 Automotive Business Council | naamsa Accelerator Awards were announced at the recently held Auto Week 2026, which took place in eThekwini, KZN.
GWM has expanded its local SUV line-up with the introduction of the all-new Haval H7. Replacing the outgoing model, the newcomer blends boxy styling, advanced technology and a choice of petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, giving buyers a versatile family SUV with genuine all-terrain credentials.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Cars are the ultimate symbol of freedom, independence and individualism. They offer the freedom to ‘go anywhere,’ whenever it suits and with whom one chooses.
Sarah Redshaw
The winners of the 2026 Automotive Business Council | naamsa Accelerator Awards were announced at the recently held Auto Week 2026, which took place in eThekwini, KZN.
With the steep rise in fuel prices since March this year leading to historic record highs following massive increases in October, the government intervention annouched this week, is widely welcomed.
Most motorists will go their entire driving lives without deliberately pushing their vehicle to the limits of adhesion. Yet a sudden downpour, a patch of gravel, standing water or simply carrying too much speed into a bend can quickly expose the limits of a vehicle's grip.
