Rumours abound about Merc’s East London plant
More and more rumours are surfacing about the possible sale, or part sale, of Mercedes-Benz’s East London manufacturing plant.
- Industry News
- 11 March 2026
ABSA Vehicle and Asset Finance (AVAF) recently celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of the BB Group during a function held at BB Ford Menlyn.
The BB Group started as a one-man Datsun operation back in 1959 in Pietersburg (Polokwane) and over the years expanded its footprint in South Africa to 55 dealerships, representing 19 different brands. (Read more about the most recent addition, Welkom here: BB Group grows its footprint in Central SA.
Faisal Mkhize, Managing Executive at AVAF, reaffirmed ABSA’s commitment to keep close to the people they are in business with. “Our aim is to be the bank of choice for dealerships. Amid the economic downturn and pandemic-related lockdown, we have worked very hard to improve our approval rate and service delivery as part of driving that vision,” Mkhize said.

Arnold du Plessis, CEO of the BB Motor Group, acknowledged the increase in approval rates’ turnaround time as a contributing factor to having a record month in October. “Despite OEMs that are running low on stock, we had a bumper month, and I am proud of our employees for making up the losses we incurred during the lockdown,” Du Plessis told guests. “It seems that one can have your cake and eat it,” Du Plessis said tongue-in-cheek while cutting the cake.
Fulufhelo Mandane, Regional Head of Dealer Relationships at ABSA Vehicle and Asset Finance, told Dealerfloor
the efforts in delivering exceptional customer service are proving to be vital in the mutual beneficial success of both the bank and the dealer.
Among 14 Lexus Dealerships, Halfway Lexus Pretoria, emerged as the standout performer, claiming the title of 2025 Lexus Dealer of the Year Award.
Hyundai Automotive South Africa has bolstered its national apprenticeship programme to 338 active apprentices, with 80 women now representing nearly 24%.
Cape Town residents have embraced the Hyundai brand for its innovation, reliability as well as value-for-money and that enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed, says the Korean manufacturer with the opening of a new dealership in the Mother City.