Mazda Southern Africa announced that Bonite van der Merwe, current Head of Operations Sales and Service, will be appointed as the new MD of Mazda SA Pty Ltd, effective 1 October 2025.
Share with friends
The current Managing Director, Craig Roberts, who led the Mazda business in the Southern African market for the past eight years, will leave Mazda SA to take up a role and business opportunity in a related but non-Automotive industry.
Bonite, a qualified Chartered Accountant, has been a member of the Mazda SA Organisation Management and Senior Management teams for the past 11 years, having served in the roles of Finance Manager and Head of Finance and Corporate Affairs before the current Head of Operations role.
“Bonite, who has been on board with Mazda SA since the inception of Mazda SA as an Independent National Sales Company of Mazda Motor Corporation in 2014, is ideally positioned to assume the leadership role for Mazda in SA,” comments Roberts.
“Experience across all areas of the Mazda SA Business, as well as a strong commitment to Mazda’s Customer Centric and Human Centric values, will stand her in good stead to lead Mazda’s Business in the SA Market," he says.
Mazda SA remains committed to its SA Customers and Dealer Invested Partners and is excited about the Mazda Brand's future product line-up. This includes the All-New Mazda CX-5, which is heading for the SA market.
In addition, Customer Centric Product elements such as its “industry leading” Unlimited Mileage Warranty and Service Plans, including the “first to market” customer service such as “Courtesy Service Vehicle Programs” and “Lifetime Replacement Parts Warranty”.
Volkswagen is abandoning its separate electric vehicle naming convention, opting instead to align its battery-electric models with established combustion engine nameplates. The German automaker announced that the strategy shift would begin with the ID Polo, set to debut in 2026.
“We are ready to hit the road with DFSK and will celebrate the official opening of the East London DFSK dealership on 6th
September,” says Melanie Herman, owner and Dealer Principal of the new facility in the Eastern Cape city.
Morocco's automotive sector has received another major endorsement with Heilongjiang Tianyouwei Electronics Co's decision to invest €65 million (R1.3 billion) to establish a comprehensive manufacturing operation in the kingdom.