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
How can automotive retailers set themselves apart from their peers in a highly competitive market? The answer is simple: by delivering exceptional customer experiences.
By Harm Stavast, Regional Sales Director, Keyloop
Today’s consumers demand to be in control of their own customer journey and, faced with so many choices when it comes to the car buying and ownership journey, are willing to pay more for a good experience. On the other hand, they are more likely than ever to look elsewhere if unsatisfied.
That’s why automotive retailers must lean into the power of technology to help transform their customer relationships and the effectiveness of their businesses. This will enable retailers to provide the same levels of exceptional service through every channel – no matter when, where or how the customer chooses to engage with them.
Automotive retailers need to reimagine their relationship with technology platforms. For Keyloop, this is represented through five key pillars:
In turn, Experience-First is both a blueprint and a technology platform created by Keyloop to help retailers deliver an exceptional customer experience – helping them to build trust and improve margins. To look under the hood of Experience-First, Keyloop has published a white paper written by our leadership team, titled Revolutionising automotive retail through technology,
If you would like to speak to us more about Experience-First, contact us via https://keyloop.com/en-za/contact.

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.