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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
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
Facebook.com/AutomobilSA
www.rmi.org.za
inDustry news
ehicle affordability in South Africa is set
to improve over the next couple of years
as local and global economies continue
to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, writes
Ghana Msibi, CEO of WesBank.
As the South African GDP continues to take
strain and our inflationary forecast sees two in-
terest rate increases within the next six months,
we believe the situation in the local economy will
begin to improve with decreases in the repo rate
and that the economy will normalise in 2024.
We also expect the supply shortage of certain
automotive components such as semiconduc-
tors to improve in the medium term and for the
current logistical turmoil in the world to ease,
together with lower shipping costs. These de-
velopments will help world economies, including
South Africa, by cutting operating costs.
An important development will be when
China, with its zero COVID-19 policy and related
manufacturing plant shutdowns, starts firing on
all cylinders. This will be a major factor in improv-
ing component availability for the entire global
automotive industry and its related economies.
The improving global and local economic
situations will be beneficial in improving vehi-
cle affordability, but locally there are calls from
consumers and industry commentators for the
government to cut duties and taxes to improve
affordability. However, the government’s fi-
nances are currently so constrained that they
will be hard stretched to make these cuts. I be-
lieve what is needed are infrastructural projects
that will not only boost the economy but also
create jobs and much needed employment.
This, in turn, will mean more people paying tax
to grow the fiscus.
There has been a substantial increase in mar-
ket activity in 2022 compared to 2021, evidenced
by surprisingly good new vehicle sales figures,
and we expect this activity to grow in 2023, to
the benefit of consumers.
Within WesBank, we see a move to a ‘clicks
and mortar’ model for most of the staff in 2023
as business and banking organisations come to
terms with a combination of digital and personal
interaction with consumers. The bank will contin-
ue to operate with the more fluid hybrid model
of splitting working hours between home and
office, as personal relationships with customers
remain important. COVID-19 did not influence
these changes. They were inevitable, but it cer-
tainly accelerated the process.
While continuing with the theme of forward
thinking, New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), which use
expensive batteries, are creating a whole new
world for vehicle finance. At this stage, the com-
plete car will be financed but, depending on risk
assessment over time, it could result in separate
financing for the car without the battery and fi-
nancing the battery separately. This could give
rise to an adjacent market, as is the case with us
financing a warranty or replacement tyres.
WesBank is also preparing to put more focus
on its operations in other Southern African De-
velopment Community (SADC) countries, in line
with the implementation of the African Continen-
tal Free Trade Area. We are already well repre-
sented in these markets and now is the time to
improve the efficacy, in line with what we are
doing in South Africa. This presents us with many
opportunities for developing our footprint in
these regions.
I am the quintessential optimist. A case study
of South Africa over the past 30 years will demon-
strate the resilience of South Africans. Against all
odds – and there have been plenty of challenges
in this time – we will pull through together. We
have seen this as we recover from the COVID-19
pandemic and will do so as we engage with major
transitions in the spheres of NEVs and a trans-
forming automotive industry.
Vehicle affordability set to
improve
www.automobil.co.za
December 2022