New appointments at Stellantis SA

Stellantis South Africa announced organisational changes for the Executive Committee with three new members being appointed.

23 Stel New1

This follows shortly on the news of the establishment of a state-of-the-art Automotive Plant in Coega in the Eastern Cape as part of the manufacture’s plan to reach 22% market share in the Middle East & Africa region by 2030.

Mike Whitfield has been appointed Managing Director. He was with Nissan where he spent his entire working life in various leadership positions and on a number of continents. Most recently, Mike was the Group Advisor for Strategy, Policy and External Affairs after a number of years as Managing Director of Nissan Africa.

Mike Withfield (Managing Director).

He also played a major role in the leadership of the South African automotive industry and the development of a Pan-African automotive industry through both the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (naamsa) and the African Association of automotive Manufacturers (AAAM). He is a past president of naamsa and is currently in his second term as president of the AAAM.

The second new appointment is Pravin Harinarayan as Sales Director. He was with MAN Truck and Bus South Africa where he was the Head of Sales operations since 2017.

Prior to MAN, he worked in various positions at Volvo South Africa such as Sales & Dealer Network Director and Chief Financial Officer. Pravin has a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from the University of Pretoria (SA).

Pravin Harinarayan (Sales Director).

The third new appointment is Hassan Salie as After-sales Director. He joins the company from Audi Africa where he was the Head of Sales and Network Development since 2020.

Prior to Audi, he worked in various positions at Volkswagen South Africa such as Head of After-sales and Head of Network Development. Hassan has master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from the Management College of SA.

Hassan Salie (After-sales Director).

More Industry News stories

Dramatic ‘Transformer’ videos highlight SVI’S technology

Dramatic ‘Transformer’ videos highlight SVI’S technology

SVI Engineering, specialist manufacturer of armoured products in South Africa, has released a series of Transformer-inspired videos via its social media channels, highlighting how the company leverages its extensive expertise in the military and security fields to deliver civilian protection.

  • 3 February 2026
Pulse of new car sales in SA remains resilient

Pulse of new car sales in SA remains resilient

The new car buying trend has continued unabated into the new year, with January figures reflecting a 7.5% increase in total vehicle sales and passenger car volumes rising by 7.1%.

  • 3 February 2026
January vehicle sales on a positive trajectory

January vehicle sales on a positive trajectory

The positive momentum of new vehicle sales in 2025 seems set to continue in 2026, with January building on the previous year’s success, says the Automotive Business Council (naamsa).

  • 3 February 2026