IN THE NEWS
GWM ACHIEVES GOLD STATUS AT THE 2026 NADA DSI AWARDS
GWM South Africa has once again achieved Gold Status in the Passenger and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) category of the prestigious 2026 National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) Survey.
Mitsubishi Triton Bi-Turbo arrives with more presence, more power and more torque
Mitsubishi Motors SA has updated their Triton bakkie range for 2026 with the exciting new Triton Bi-Turbo and stylish Triton GLS, which ensure that the Triton offering continues to perfectly meet the needs and desires of South African bakkie customers.
Volkswagen Group Africa honours its Best Apprentice for 2026
Tshililo Nelwamondo has been named Volkswagen Group Africa’s (VWGA) Best Apprentice for 2026 after being recognised at the annual Best Apprentice Awards ceremony held in Wolfsburg, Germany in June 2026.
Uptime Is No Longer a Maintenance Metric — It’s a Business Strategy
Across Africa’s industrial sector, there is a growing recognition that competitive advantage is increasingly determined by asset performance.
EDITOR BLOG
Fuel Price, Driving the growth of EV’s
Sales in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segments reflected a positive performance during March 2026. Medium commercial vehicle sales at 823 units recorded a 14,0% increase compared to the 722 units sold in March 2025, while heavy trucks and buses, at 2,310 units, reflected a 14,5% increase compared to the 2,017 units sold in March 2025. Investment decisions in these segments remain closely linked to infrastructure spending, freight volumes, electricity costs, and overall business confidence.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks continues to lead the way in specialized trucking solutions. With a legacy of engineering excellence and a commitment to meeting the toughest transport challenges.
Electric vehicle sales are on the increase despite the slow growth in infrastructure to support this market. Companies like Conti are developing tyres for the Electric Vehicles and we look at their innovations in this issue.
The South African motoring public is spoilt for choice when it comes to electric vehicles with the current array of some 30 fully electric vehicles available. Hybrid vehicles are also in the mix and appear to provide an alternative and a more practical solution for anyone venturing into the realm of electric/ ICE motoring.
However, one of the major hurdles continues to be pricing which is not unique to the South African market. Most manufacturers using the newer technologies such as lithium for batteries have found they are not as readily available as components for ICE mass produced vehicles. The economies of scale are not quite there for electric vehicles in the short term.
On the other side of the coin, the electric commercial vehicle market is expanding rapidly as logistics, public transport and fleet operators shift towards solutions for more sustainable mobility.
Some manufacturers like DFSK have provided alternatives with their D35 Panel Van, offering both electric and gas operated alternatives featured in this issue.
There is no doubt that transport in the various guises has been a dominant factor in producing greenhouse gas emissions, therefore a shift to EV’s is the only way
to decarbonise the atmosphere and lead the way to
economic and environmental transformation.
Acknowledgement to naamsa for vehicle statistics.
Pierre Sanson
Issue 06 – 2026
MAGAZINE
