Co-founder of Red Bull energy drinks, Dietrich Mateschitz, died this past Saturday (22 October) at the age of 78, after a long-term illness.
Austrian Mateschitz founded the company in 1987 with Thai national, Chaleo Yoovidhya. The company quickly became and remained the leader in the energy-drinks market.
Red Bull became associated with extreme sports owing to its sponsorship of, among other sports, big wave surfing, cliff diving, mountain biking and trail ultra-running.
But one of the brand’s biggest success stories remains its venture into Formula 1 when it bought the then-Jaguar team in 2004. Over two decades, the team was built into a champion team with Sebastian Vettel at the steering wheel.
On local soil, Red Bull has been a sponsor of motorsport champions such as Giniel de Villiers, a Dakar champion.
Last October Mateschitz’s net worth was valued at around $25 billion.
Red Bull currently employs 13 000 people in 172 countries and sells and estimated 10 billion cans of the energy drink annually.
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I always do like seeing other people dance in their cars. It's one of the things that makes me happy.
Ariel Gore
The Automotive Business Council (naamsa) recently submitted its quarterly review of business conditions for the South African motor vehicle manufacturing industry, during the second quarter of 2025, to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTCI).
Africa's automotive sector is experiencing a significant transformation, with Morocco emerging as a rising star while traditional leader, South Africa, faces mounting challenges.
After an absence if six years, Tata passenger vehicles are back with a bang in South Africa. The last model launched locally was the Bolt, which followed in the tracks of the more well-known Indica.
