Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa announces that Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Zakes Bantwini, will join the Friend of the Brand (FOTB) programme. Zakes will be driving and living with the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 for the next 12 months.
“Zakes and I started our journey last year with the introduction of the all-new C-Class. I knew then that we would strike up a long-term partnership with many amazing collaborations to follow,” says Alexandra Boavida, vice-president of sales and marketing at Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa.
“Growing up in the ghetto, everyone dreams of one day driving a Mercedes-Benz. Every car that you drive along the way is just a stepping stone to one day having the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Benz.
“It is therefore an honour to have joined the family and to have the opportunity to enjoy this incredible car over the next 12 months. Thank you to the brilliant team at Mercedes-Benz for welcoming me so warmly; I cannot wait to see what we can do together with this partnership!” says Zakes.
The Friend of the Brand programme is designed to connect Mercedes-Benz South Africa with Brand Ambassadors who are pioneers and practitioners in their fields. The Friends of the brand programme use their skills to achieve success in diverse projects.
Other Friend of the Brand members include Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Tatjana Schoenmaker and other well-known sport stars and artists.
According to a Reuters report, China's automotive sector faces an unprecedented crisis beneath its outward success. Despite becoming the world's largest car exporter and producing global leaders like BYD and Geely, the industry is trapped in a destructive spiral threatening widespread bankruptcies.
Volkswagen is abandoning its separate electric vehicle naming convention, opting instead to align its battery-electric models with established combustion engine nameplates. The German automaker announced that the strategy shift would begin with the ID Polo, set to debut in 2026.
Europe's automotive industry has issued a unified call for the European Union (EU) to recalibrate its green transition strategy, with leading manufacturers and suppliers expressing growing concerns about the feasibility of current electrification timelines and regulatory frameworks.
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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
According to a Reuters report, China's automotive sector faces an unprecedented crisis beneath its outward success. Despite becoming the world's largest car exporter and producing global leaders like BYD and Geely, the industry is trapped in a destructive spiral threatening widespread bankruptcies.
Europe's automotive industry has issued a unified call for the European Union (EU) to recalibrate its green transition strategy, with leading manufacturers and suppliers expressing growing concerns about the feasibility of current electrification timelines and regulatory frameworks.
South African business sentiment deteriorated further in the third quarter of 2025, falling one point to reach 39, well below the long-term benchmark of 42 points, as punitive US tariffs took their toll on exporters, Reuters reported on Wednesday
