BMW iX3 crowned World Car of the Year 2026 as EVs lead the way
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
- Industry News
- 2 April 2026
The avoidance of further job losses through a process of offering the re-alignment of incentive structures and company car benefits has been successful as an alternative to forced retrenchments.
So says the SA Vehicle Retail ("SA Retail"), a division within Motus Holdings Limited (Motus), in a statement that saw the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), declaring a dispute with the motoring group on this issue.
Accordingly, the Company can confirm that it has been able to substantially reduce the initial number of employees expected to be impacted by the re-alignment process by more than 250 employees (44%). This has seen the overall number of impacted employees reduced from 570 to 318.
The reduction is because of ongoing engagements and mitigation measures implemented by SA Retail, the statement reads.
The re-alignment of incentive structures and company car benefits was separate from the earlier concluded retrenchment of 67 employees.

The revised offer tabled with MISA as an alternative to forced retrenchments, includes the following:
SA Retail would like to confirm that potentially affected employees currently earn on average 160% above the published Motor Industry Bargaining Council in South Africa (MIBCO) minimum. Should the revised re-alignment offer, which is an alternative to retrenchment, be accepted, the affected administrative and support-related employees will still be earning on average 125% above the MIBCO minimum.
SA Retail, meanwhile, notes that MISA has filed an urgent Labour Court interdict against what it claimed was the unilateral change in employment conditions of 275 SA Retail employees.
SA Retail CEO, Gideon Jansen van Rensburg, confirmed "there have not been any changes to conditions of employment or benefits, and all employees were paid their full salaries and incentives on the 23rd of January 2026".
To date, the revised offer has not been accepted by MISA and neither have they put forward any alternative proposals.
He adds that SA Retail remains committed to ongoing engagement with MISA and to maintaining a transparent process, with the aim of finding workable solutions that minimise the risk of further job losses.
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
Retail new vehicle sales continue to surge in South Africa despite global and regional conflicts, local floods and droughts.
South Africa’s new vehicle market delivered a standout performance in March 2026, extending its domestic growth trajectory to the strongest level seen in nearly two decades.