Thato Magasa took over the reins at Mitsubishi Motors South Africa as the new Managing Director. He succeeds Pedro Pereira, who had been in the position since 2015.
After being with the Motus Group (the holding company of Mitsubishi SA) since 2004 in various executive roles, including Managing Director of SsangYong and Daihatsu, Pedro has moved to the C2 Technology Group as Chief Operating Officer.
As the new Mitsubishi MD, Thato is no stranger to the automotive industry. He has worked in various roles within the Motus Group since he first joined the company in 2009.
Following a short break in 2012, he returned to the Motus Group holding various roles at Mitsubishi Motors South Africa, including that of Operations Manager, and he then moved to another senior role within the Motus Group – this time at Renault South Africa.
Prior to this, Thato had been the General Manager for Sales at Renault SA, after completing a 12-month development programme within the Renault Group. He also holds a B-Com Accounting degree and acquired his MBA at GIBS, South Africa.
“Having spent a large part of my career working at challenger brands, I have always found that it is undoubtedly the people within the organisation who make the difference.
“I am highly passionate about the continuous development of people towards the achievement of organisational goals. Our end goal is to offer a consistently high-quality retail and ownership experience of our vehicles, which will be heavily reliant on our people – both within Mitsubishi Motors SA and the dealer network at large, Thato says.”
The Mazda brand has gained a solid footing in the Lowveld thanks to the dedicated customer care and service provided by Mazda Nelspruit to owners of the legacy Japanese brand in this part of the country over many decades.
GWM South Africa has introduced a new 3.0 litre turbodiesel engine across its line-up, fitting it to both the P500 bakkie and the Tank 500 SUV. The P500 becomes the first vehicle in the range to receive the new powertrain, while the Tank 500 gains a diesel alternative to its existing HEV derivative.
Affordability is driving a structural shift in South Africa’s vehicle market, with SUVs gaining significant ground as consumers increasingly seek competitively priced, well-equipped vehicles.
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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
George Carlin
Affordability is driving a structural shift in South Africa’s vehicle market, with SUVs gaining significant ground as consumers increasingly seek competitively priced, well-equipped vehicles.
South Africa’s used car market continued to grow during the first half of 2026, despite pressure on household budgets and a 25 basis point interest rate increase in May.
South Africa's push to position industrial policy, and electric vehicle (EV) development in particular, as a cornerstone of economic transformation for emerging economies has found new traction at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
