Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa (DTBSA) is preparing for the official transition into a fully independent and a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG effective from 1 December 2021.
This follows the recent announcement by Daimler AG of the separation into two independent companies. This milestone represents the start of a reshaping of DTBSA, and with a truck and bus dedicated and customer-centric corporate structure going forward.
Michael Dietz, President and CEO of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa, says this is a massive turning point for DTBSA and a huge investment for the Southern Africa market.
“We have done some ground-breaking changes previously, like the establishment of DTBSA as a legal entity in 2019 and more recently the founding of our very own captive financial mobility services, Daimler Trucks Financial Services (DTFS).
“I firmly believe that the new set-up promotes the necessary focus into our core business, creating favourable conditions for us to be more competitive, and it accelerates the development of key technologies for us to provide cutting-edge products and services to fulfil the special needs of our customers.
“It is without a doubt that this independence is fully aligned with our growth strategy and further strengthens our foothold within the markets we operate in. As we gear up to a smooth transition, our commitment for all who keep Africa moving remains unchanged,” he says.
In totality, a significant investment of up to R1 billion has been made available to ensure continuity in operation, adequate resources and suitable working infrastructure for the DTBSA business.
This new set-up will comprise of the Sales and Marketing, Customer Service & Parts (CSP), Own Retail, Manufacturing Plant, Value-added services that include: TruckStore, FleetBoard, Mercedes-Benz Uptime, Service24h, TruckParts, and FUSO Value Parts (FVP).
In addition to this, for the first time as part of the new structure, DTBSA will have a dedicated captive financial and mobility service – Daimler Truck Financial Services South Africa (DTFS). As a wholly owned subsidiary of DTBSA, DTFS will play a fundamental role in driving sales with tailor-made financing, leasing and mobility solutions, increasing retention and building customer loyalty, which enables a commercial vehicle dedicated and customer-centric support to the market.
Furthermore, the DTBSA production plant in East London will continue to operate from the main location with clear and seamless integration of Mercedes-Benz and FUSO brands and will have the same level of access to the key production areas, including harbour depots/storage centres, testing ground and the Training Academy.
Mitsubishi Motors has revived the Pajero name with the launch of the fifth generation Pajero Cross Country. The new model does not simply replace the previous Pajero that disappeared from the market in 2021. Its relationship with the Pajero Sport is equally important, particularly for markets such as South Africa.
Range Rover, long regarded as the original luxury SUV, has introduced its first electric model. The vehicle is built at the Solihull plant in the UK, where Range Rover production has taken place since 1970.
Audi South Africa has introduced the new Q5 range, comprising the third-generation Q5 SUV, second-generation Q5 Sportback, and the performance-focused SQ5 SUV and SQ5 Sportback. The range is built on Audi's Premium Platform Combustion and brings a new generation of petrol and diesel engines to the nameplate.
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 Toyota Starlet has improved from zero to a four-star rating for adult occupant protection in Global NCAP's latest #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results. This follows a safety upgrade to make six airbags a standard fit.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has released a new corporate manifesto that sets out its commitment to the country, its customers and its dealer network, alongside a renewed push to champion industrialisation as central to South Africa's future.
South Africa's new vehicle market sustained strong momentum in August 2026, with aggregate sales increasing by 11,4% year-on-year to 57 898 units, says the Automotive Business Councill | naamsa.
