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RMI Executives
RMI Board Members
RMI Directors
RMI Head Office
Chief Executive Officer:
Jakkie Olivier
Cell: 082 452 5150
jakkie.olivier@rmi.org.za
Chief Operations Officer:
Jan Schoeman
Cell: 082 552 7712
jan.schoeman@rmi.org.za
Financial Director:
Renee Coetsee
Cell: 082 412 6760
renee.coetsee@rmi.org.za
Company Secretary:
Gary McCraw
Cell: 082 560 6613
gary.mccraw@rmi.org.za
Jakkie Olivier – CEO
Jeanne Esterhuizen – President
Ferose Oaten - Vice President
Mark Dommisse
Frank MacNicol
Eugene Ranft
Riaan Botha
Les McMaster
Johann van de Merwe
Mams Rehaman
Sandra Singh
Charles Canning
Marcel van Ruler
Henry van der Merwe
Lindsay Bouchier
ARA, SAVABA
Attie Serfontein
Cell: 082 452 5153
attie.serfontein@rmi.org.za
MIWA
Pieter Niemand
Cell: 082 812 5391
pieter.niemand@rmi.org.za
NADA
Gary McCraw
Cell: 082 560 6613
gary.mccraw@rmi.org.za
SAMBRA
Uvashen Bramiah
Cell: 061 148 4289
uvashen.bramiah@rmi.org.za
TEPA, SAPRA
Vishal Premlall
Cell: 082 886 6392
vishal.premlall@rmi.org.za
VTA
Julian Pillay
Cell: 082 560 6625
julian.pillay@rmi.org.za
Training Director
Louis van Huyssteen
Cell: 082 560 6623
louis.vanhuyssteen@rmi.org.za
Transformation Director
Nonhlanhla Noni Tshabalala
Cell: 083 208 7161
noni.tshabalala@rmi.org.za
Labour Director and
Company Secretary Designate
Jacques Viljoen
Cell: 083 337 9922
jacques.viljoen@rmi.org.za
Danelle van der Merwe
Brand and Communication Manager
Cell: 082 926 5846
danelle.vandermerwe@rmi.org.za
Nonhlanhla Noni Tshabalala
HR Manager
Cell: 083 208 7161
noni.tshabalala@rmi.org.za
Julian Pillay
Regulatory Compliance Manager
Cell: 082 560 6625
julian.pillay@rmi.org.za
011-886-6300
www.rmi.org.za
Surrey Square Office Park
330 Surrey Avenue,
Ferndale, Randburg
2194
RMI Regional Offices
Julian Pillay: Regional Manager: KwaZulu-Natal
Randall Langenhoven: Regional Manager: Western Cape
Peter van Mosseveld: Regional Manager: Eastern Cape/Border
Jeff Molefe: Regional Manager: Central
(Gauteng/Northwest/ Mpumalanga/ Limpopo)
Reemo Swartz: Regional Manager: Free State/Northern Cape
Central: Randburg: 011 886 6300
KwaZulu-Natal: Durban: 031 266 7031
Eastern Cape/Border: Port Elizabeth: 041 364 0070
Western Cape: Cape Town: 021 939 9440
Free State/Northern Cape: Bloemfontein: 051 430 3294
RMI PARTNERS
RMI4Sure 011 669 1214
RMI4Law 0861 668 677
RMI4BEE 066 292 0102
RMI4OHS 072 787 5503
@AutomobilSA
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www.rmi.org.za
www.automobil.co.za
January 2023
industry news
ercedes-Benz South Africa Limited (MBSA) has announced that
Dr Joachim Schmidt, currently Chairman of the Board of Directors
of Mercedes-Benz South Africa, will retire and be succeeded by
Wilfried Porth, effective 1 January 2023. Dr Schmidt served as the Chairman
of the Board for a period of nine years.
“Good corporate governance remains the cornerstone of our business.
The appointment of Wilfried Porth affirms our commitment to ensuring that
our business practices and way of operating are in line with our philosophy
of corporate governance. His outstanding experience will support MBSA’s
continued efforts to deliver on our business sustainability strategy. We look
forward to working together with Wilfried Porth and to continue with the
legacy left by Dr Schmidt,” says Andreas Brand Chief Executive Officer of
Mercedes- Benz South Africa and Executive Director Manufacturing.
Prior to serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mer-
cedes-Benz South Africa, Dr Schmidt served in various roles within Daimler
AG for more than 34 years. He studied mathematics at the University of
Stuttgart, obtaining his science doctorate there in 1976. In 1979, he joined
what was then known as Daimler-Benz,
working initially in passenger car de-
velopment and thereafter, for over 20
years, in various sales and marketing
management positions. He was a mem-
ber and Chairman of the Board for a pe-
riod of nine years.
Chairman of the Board of Directors
of Mercedes-Benz South Africa des-
ignate, Wilfried Porth, has 36 years of
working experience in various loca-
tions such as Europe, South America,
South Africa, Japan and the USA. He
has served on various Boards of Man-
agement and Supervisory Boards as a
Member within several corporations. Porth’s experience spans across pro-
duction, research and development, sales and human resources.
rom January to November 2022, Volkswa-
gen sold a total of 58 822 vehicles in the
local market. Volkswagen’s performance in
the first 11 months of 2022 was bolstered by a
growing affinity for the T SUV model range.
“In November, we increased passenger car
sales in the local market by 10% when compared
to November 2021. Last month, the Volkswagen
brand (including Volkswagen Commercial Vehi-
cles), sold a total of 6 006 vehicles (VW PC: 5 540,
VW CV: 466) in the local market,” said Steffen
Knapp, head of the Volkswagen Passenger Car
Brand.
Volkswagen’s T SUV range, which consists of
the T-Cross, Taigo, T-Roc, Tiguan (including All-
space and R) and the Touareg, has continued to
grow in popularity in the local market.
In the first 11 months of 2022, T-Cross sales
saw a significant increase of 44% year-on-year
with 9 695 units sold, making it Volkswagen’s
best-selling imported vehicle. The T-Cross was
followed by the Tiguan range with 2 334 units
sold and the recently- launched T-Roc and Taigo
with 2 143 and 1 739 units sold respectively. 151
Touaregs were sold in the local market during the
same period.
The Polo Vivo is the best-selling Volkswa-
gen model with 19 445 units sold in the first 11
months of 2022. The Polo was Volkswagen’s sec-
ond best-selling vehicle this year with a total of
14 212 units sold. The T-Cross rounded up Volk-
swagen’s trio of best-selling vehicles with 9 695
units sold.
Volkswagen
Commercial
Vehicles
deliv-
ered 4 791 vehicles to customers in the first 11
months of 2022. The Amarok double cab was the
best-selling model with 1 823 units sold in the
first 11 months of 2022 and accounted for almost
40% of the brand’s sales.
The Kariega manufacturing plant also export-
ed 94 049 Volkswagen Polos to 38 international
countries during the same period.
2023 will see the Volkswagen brand intro-
ducing the new Golf 8 R in the local market as
well as a refresher of the range-topping Polo
Vivo GT derivative. For Volkswagen Commercial
Vehicles, 2023 will be an important year with
the market introduction of the highly anticipat-
ed new generation Amarok.
Volkswagen’s T SUV range
accounts for 30 percent of sales
Board of Directors changes at
Mercedes-Benz South Africa
wilfred porth, incoming
chairman of the board of
directors of mercedes-benz
south africa