Only 2 stars for Chery’s Tiggo 7 in crash test
- Industry News
- 18 February 2026
Dealer industry news from around Southern Africa
Japanese carmakers are scaling back operations in Southeast Asia and Africa as competition from rapidly expanding Chinese manufacturers reshapes the global automotive landscape.
China is set to prohibit hidden or flush car door handles from 1 January 2027, becoming the first country to impose a nationwide ban on the sleek but controversial design.
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) Minister Parks Tau has welcomed the approval of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Extension Bill by the United States (US) House of Representatives.
South Africa will remain as part of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for the time being, benefitting the country’s vehicle and automotive part exports.
Mahindra has updated its customer support approach in South Africa with a renewed focus on response times, accessibility and parts availability.
Strong sales momentum has driven an increase in parts stock, ensuring uninterrupted supply, faster turnaround times and peace of mind for customers by keeping vehicles on the road and businesses operating without costly downtime, says DFSK South Africa.
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.
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).
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%.
Chinese automotive brands are no longer a fringe presence in Europe.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition has renewed calls for stronger localisation, expanded job creation and deeper transformation in South Africa’s automotive industry after reviewing progress on the South African Automotive Industry Master Plan 2035.
As economic pressures and market volatility continue to shape the local transport industry, UD Trucks Southern Africa says it has demonstrated confident and stable growth, supported by strong retail partnerships and a relentless focus on customer uptime.
Keyloop, a global automotive technology company, has signed an agreement to acquire Motortech.ai, a United Kingdom-based (UK) developer of state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for the automotive industry.
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I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen