Funky wheels: China’s big drive in South Africa
No, the Chinese are not coming to take over – they are already busy accomplishing it.
- Industry News
- 4 May 2026
Nissan has announced a series of senior management changes in its Africa, Middle East, India, Europe & Oceania (AMIEO) region.
This is designed to strengthen delivery of its Re:Nissan transformation plan and enhance operational efficiency, speed and customer focus.
Jordi Vila, current Divisional Vice President (DVP) and Nissan Africa President, adds up the role of DVP Nissan Europe, as well as leading Aftersales and Brand for AMIEO, while retaining the current scope in Africa.
Jordi has spent over 3 decades at Nissan; throughout his career, he has held pivotal roles across the business from headquarters to markets essentially in Europe, as well as Asia & Oceania and Africa.
He held the position of Vice President, Sales and Network Operations for Nissan Europe between 2017 and 2020, before being appointed Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales for Asia and Oceania in 2020. Following this, took the role of Divisional Vice President, Marketing and Sales Europe. Since 2024, he has been based between South Africa and Egypt as DVP and President Nissan Africa.
Regionally, Nissan will integrate Product Planning and Marketing into a single product-focused organization to streamline processes from concept to launch.
Commenting on the changes, Massimiliano Messina, Nissan AMIEO Chairperson says: “The Re:Nissan plan is about transformation and customer-centricity. By combining our product planning and marketing functions and empowering regional leadership, we are creating a more agile organization that can respond quickly to market dynamics and deliver competitive, compelling products.
“I am confident these changes will strengthen our performance and supercharge our progress in 2026,” he concludes.
No, the Chinese are not coming to take over – they are already busy accomplishing it.
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