Kia’s Tasman bakkie arrives in South Africa
Kia has taken a bold step into one of South Africa’s most competitive automotive segments with the launch of the Tasman, its first-ever double cab bakkie.
- Product News
- 9 April 2026
It is a taste of adrenaline and adventure like no other, and for the second consecutive year, Nissan South Africa is the mainline sponsor for the 20th edition of the Spirit of Africa.
The Nissan Spirit of Africa is about adrenaline, speed and experiencing the great outdoors.
“We are excited to have brought the challenge back this year with more power and gusto than ever before, and we’re even more excited to see how our motoring associates did behind the wheel of the rugged and redefined Nissan Navara,” says Maciej Kleinkiewicz, Managing Director for Nissan SA.
“At last year’s inaugural Nissan Spirit of Africa challenge, we had a fantastic turnout of 300 teams who entered our gruelling and competitive race, with 400 teams expected to participate this year. We’ve strived for gold as this year’s challenge gets underway, with excitement building leading up to our female-focused leg on 4-6 June. We encourage all female drivers to enter and tackle Africa’s toughest offroad course,” Maciej adds.
Renowned for its challenging terrain and thrilling atmosphere, the Spirit of Africa challenge was created by legendary local racing driver, Sarel van der Merwe. It has been described as the “toughest 4X4 challenge in Africa” and gives “average” drivers an opportunity to test their offroad ability in a competitive environment.
If you are looking for an exciting three-day experience that includes camping under the African sky and traditional local food in between intense offroad driving, then Nissan Spirit of Africa is just the challenge for you.
Several highly capable Nissan Navaras were made available for the media leg of the event, with each having been put to the test and pushed to the limit.
Through rough terrain marked by steep inclines, muddy crossings and heart-stopping descents as expected from this year’s Spirit of Africa – the Nissan Navara pushed each boundary, defied every hazard and ultimately came out on top.
Kia has taken a bold step into one of South Africa’s most competitive automotive segments with the launch of the Tasman, its first-ever double cab bakkie.
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has reached another major milestone with the production of the 500 000th unit of the current Polo for the export market.
OMODA has expanded its South African lineup with the arrival of the C5 SHS hybrid, a new addition to the C5 range.
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Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has reached another major milestone with the production of the 500 000th unit of the current Polo for the export market.
Nissan South Africa has agreed to sell its Rosslyn production facility after 60 years of operation. The plant, which produced models such as the 1400 ‘Champ’ bakkie, NP200 and Navara, was acquired by Chery SA. The Chinese automaker has sold over 80,000 vehicles locally since 2021 and is now strengthening its African presence.
Following an intense national selection process that pushed participants to the limit, South Africa’s representatives for the 2026 Defender Trophy global final have been decided.