
Scrapping of VAT increase, widely welcomed
The National Treasury’s announcement on the scrapping of the proposed increase in Value-Added Tax (VAT) has been widely welcomed.
- Industry News
- 24 April 2025
The winners of the 2023/24 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards, sponsored by Absa (#CarsAwards), and the recipient of the prestigious Brand of the Year title, were announced at a black-tie gala event in Sandton.
The fourteen 2023/24 #CarsAwards trophy recipients:
BMW and Suzuki took the most category wins (3 apiece) in the 2023/24 #CarsAwards. BMW has the second most category wins in #CarsAwards history (12), followed by Toyota (11) and Suzuki (10), but Volkswagen (20) comfortably leads the #CarsAwards category trophies tally.
By winning the Brand of the Year consecutively, Toyota now leads the total #CarsAwards Brand of the Year wins tally with four trophies, followed by Suzuki (2) and Volkswagen (1).
Cars.co.za Managing Director Amasi Mwela announced the return of the #CarsAwards programme last year, which was paused in 2021. As before, vehicles will be judged against their peers in distinct categories, of which each has its own requirements. What’s more, 50% of the final scores will be based on brand-specific data incorporating direct feedback from South African car owners.
“The #CarsAwards underlines our commitment to helping our users understand the best way to spend their hard-earned rands when purchasing new vehicles,” Amasi says. “As new-car prices escalate, it emphasises the need to make educated and informed buying decisions. The Cars.co.za Consumer Awards, sponsored by Absa and galvanised by the endorsement from naamsa, allows Cars.co.za to take a leadership position in our industry.
“Partnering with the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards strongly resonates with our objective of endorsing innovative initiatives that bridge the gap between consumers, trusted dealers and manufacturers,” says Charl Potgieter, Managing Executive of Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance.
“This highly respected awards programme is not just about celebrating the automotive industry’s finest, it’s about strengthening the dynamic space in which the industry operates,” he adds.
“We continue to work very closely with all our partners to take the South African automotive industry to greater heights,” says naamsa Chief Executive Officer Mikel Mabasa.
“Business leaders and organisations involved in the motor industry can play a progressive role in turning the negative sentiment in the automotive market into positivity. (Naamsa believes that) the #CarsAwards represents a number of things that should be going right in the country.
The National Treasury’s announcement on the scrapping of the proposed increase in Value-Added Tax (VAT) has been widely welcomed.
A Cape Town vehicle repairer, who has had a consumer’s vehicle for almost two years and failed to complete repairs to the vehicle by an agreed date, has been fined R100 000 by the National Consumer Tribunal and ordered to refund the vehicle’s owner the R77 000 he paid for the repairs.
The 2025 Best By Awards, announced by Kelley Blue Book, reflect the rapidly shifting landscape of the automotive market not only in the USA, but also elsewhere.