January vehicle sales on a positive trajectory
- Industry News
- 3 February 2026
Dealer industry news from around Southern Africa
SVI Engineering, specialist manufacturer of armoured products in South Africa, has released a series of Transformer-inspired videos via its social media channels, highlighting how the company leverages its extensive expertise in the military and security fields to deliver civilian protection.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition has renewed calls for stronger localisation, expanded job creation and deeper transformation in South Africa’s automotive industry after reviewing progress on the South African Automotive Industry Master Plan 2035.
As economic pressures and market volatility continue to shape the local transport industry, UD Trucks Southern Africa says it has demonstrated confident and stable growth, supported by strong retail partnerships and a relentless focus on customer uptime.
Keyloop, a global automotive technology company, has signed an agreement to acquire Motortech.ai, a United Kingdom-based (UK) developer of state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for the automotive industry.
The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) has announced the 18 finalists for the 2026 South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition, with nearly a third of the finalists being Chinese vehicles.
Toyota Motor Corporation closed 2025 with a landmark performance, further cementing its status as the world’s best‑selling carmaker.
The avoidance of further job losses through a process of offering the re-alignment of incentive structures and company car benefits has been successful as an alternative to forced retrenchments.
South Africa needs to strike a balance between protecting its automotive manufacturing against the devastating impact from the influx of Chinese and Indian vehicle brands on the one hand, without hampering the positive growth of its retail motor industry on the other.
South Africa’s automotive industry is urging government to refine existing support measures rather than pursue sharp increases in vehicle import duties, BMW South Africa’s Chief Executive says.
South Africa’s car market is broadening as more manufacturers and importers introduce a wider range of models. While this diversity benefits buyers, the strain is most evident in the motor body repair (MBR) sector, where the existing system is no longer suited to the growing complexity of the market.
A history of local vehicle manufacturing comes to an end with Nissan’ South Africa’s announcement that it is selling its Rosslyn plant in Pretoria to Chery.
Shortly after raising concerns about adult safety protection in Hyundai’s Grand i10, the Automobile Association (AA) has now expressed similar concerns regarding the Toyota Corolla Cross.
Mercedes‑Benz (MB) has introduced Tomorrow XX, a wide‑reaching technology and sustainability initiative designed to transform the environmental footprint of its entire vehicle range.
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You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
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