Just like the branches of a tree need pruning to actually strengthen the tree and produce quality fruit, it sometimes makes business sense to “move” a part of a business to be able to strengthen its core. With this in mind, Motus Honda Northcliff recently merged with Motus Honda West Rand.
“Frankly, it made basic business sense,” explains General Sales Manager of Motus Honda and Subaru, Maxine Prince. “People tend to think that the lockdown and COVID-19 were the start of the economic downturn, but let’s face it, 2019 wasn’t exactly a great year either.”
According to her, the merge is exactly what you would expect from a successful business. “When the going gets tough, why would you tolerate exorbitant overheads when it can be consolidated at one single premises?” she asks. “We had to make sure that it is a lean and winning machine with our customary focus on service excellence and profit.”
Ever since the move, her sales teams at both Honda and Subaru were hard at work making sure sales levels were up to pre-lockdown standards. “I have a fantastic team who works non-stop on prospecting, following-up and clinching deals,” she says. “There is a reason why the saying ‘there is no I in the word team’ is a cliché, it is because it is true,” she smiles proudly.
While the economy has been tough on everyone, motivated people will always be at the top of their game. Maxine Prince is no exception. Apart from the more than 20 years of sales and management experience in the motor industry, she especially excelled during her recent 5-year management stint resolving customer complaints and conflict as well as leading diverse teams.
At the 2019 West Rand Chamber of Business and Tourism’s Business achievers’ awards, Prince was a Finalist in the Businesswoman of the Year category, while Motus Honda West Rand was crowned winner in the National Corporate Motor Industry Medium Business category and received the Overall Winner 2019 award.
Many forward-thinking individuals propose that autonomous vehicles will improve road safety as problematic driver behaviour, which contributes to 90% plus crashes, will be eliminated. A recent incident may cause some to doubt this, however.
South Africa’s vehicle market has seen a steady influx of emerging brands, alongside continued expansion from established players.
Motorists travelling over the Easter period can expect heavy traffic across South Africa’s road network, with authorities warning that routes to Limpopo will come under particular pressure as thousands of pilgrims make their way to Moria.
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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
FAW Johannesburg South (ELT Group) took the top podium position as Dealer of the Year at FAW Trucks Southern Africa’s 2026 Annual Dealer Conference. It is the fourth time the dealership scooped up the top award.
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