Spare parts, new bolts and a hard-working dispenser.
At Halfway Toyota in Howick, workshop foreman Devesh Saamcharan stole a march on his Japanese colleagues in the Toyota Motor Corporation when he assembled a few foot-operated, hand-sanitiser dispensers back in May 2020.
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The dispenser proved to be a novelty in May, before it became commonplace in dealers across South Africa.
Devesh Saamcharan using one of his foot-operated hand-sanitiser dispensers.
Toyota announced recently that its Kamigo Parts Centre in Japan will be making up to 2 500 sanitiser stands a month, which are to be sold or leased to dealers in Japan from December onwards.
The new official Toyota dispenser.
Saamcharan told Dealerfloor he built his stands as strong but as cheaply as possible, using wood and old clutch housings that he salvaged at the dealership. To this he added only a few new bolts, making it a very cost-effective solution for the dealership.
The sturdy stands are in daily use at the busy Halfway dealership, but despite being stepped on many times a day, are still cleaning hands as fast as the bottles can squirt.
A local fleet manager walked away with the honour of being named the ‘first’ Best Fleet Manager in the country along with a R10 000 cash prize. Additionally, a South Africa organisation won the title of the Best Company based on their road safety policies.
While still in school, he sold his first Toyota Hilux. No wonder that GD Kotze has been the Dealer Principal at Oranje Toyota in Bothaville for the past 12 years, in the heart of the country’s maize triangle. In this region, a Hilux and farming go hand in hand.
While still in school, he sold his first Toyota Hilux. No wonder that GD Kotze has been the Dealer Principal at Oranje Toyota in Bothaville for the past 12 years, in the heart of the country’s maize triangle. In this region, a Hilux and farming go hand in hand.
This Dealer of the Year Award belongs to all our customers, our staff and Renault South Africa, says Dean Marais, Dealer Principal at Renault Graaff-Reinet, which was just crowned the best dealership in the micro category for 2021 by the manufacturer.