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www.automobil.co.za
October 2022
he drastic increase in load shedding, a 75-basis point rise in the inter-
est rate and ongoing high fuel costs are beginning to cause a negative
effect on new vehicle sales in South Africa according to Alex Boavi-
da, the Vice Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association,
NADA, after evaluating the retail sales figures for September.
“Despite these challenges, total new vehicle sales figures for September
continued to run ahead of the corresponding month last year. The numbers
were aided by a strong showing from Toyota, which is making immense
strides in recovering from flood damages that knocked out its plant in April,”
said Boavida.
Aggregate domestic sales for the month of September at 47 786 units
were 10.8% higher than September 2021, while year-to-date the industry
total of 391 396 units is 13.4% up on the figure for the first nine months
of 2021. Passenger car sales showed an increase of 9.7%, while light com-
mercial vehicles were up 14.9% and medium and heavy truck sales were up
15.3% and 1.8% respectively.
“The rise in sales in September was encouraging considering they were
achieved in tough trading conditions due to a variety of factors on top of
load shedding and the interest rate hike. These included an ongoing stock
supply shortage and a stock mix that is not ideal. With factories struggling
to keep new vehicle production on schedule, delivery times are becoming
increasingly difficult to predict, and in turn, dealers are finding it difficult to
keep clients interested in specific models,” added Boavida.
“The demand for used vehicles remains strong, and the availability of
good used vehicle stock is improving. More good news was a 104.6% im-
provement in the export of built-up vehicles and the substantial increase
in rental and fleet units as the industry gears up for the holiday season.
These indicators are extremely positive as it means that OEMs and import-
ers are delivering more units to the market,” concluded the NADA Vice
Chairperson.
industry news
Load shedding and rising interest
rates put pressure on
new vehicle sales
orking on-site often requires that employees come equipped
with an array of specialist tools. However, forgetting any of those
tools at the end of the day can be a costly exercise in terms of
money and time.
Engineers in Aachen, Germany, have completed a pilot project for Ford
Pro that could enable companies to monitor the location of their tools and
machines at all times, using Bluetooth connectivity and GPS tracking. The
system uses special devices placed inside toolboxes and on equipment to
connect to company vehicles and a central server.
These tracking devices enable each vehicle to remind drivers when a tool
is not in the vehicle or workshop. The tracking also enables companies to
know where every tool or machine is at any given time.
Each tool, machine and piece of equipment is fitted with a tracking de-
vice that is waterproof and can handle extreme temperatures. The devices
connect to a central server that can be accessed by all company employees.
A live list of tools on board enables faster loading and checking of the ve-
hicle’s inventory. Having the status of all the company’s equipment accessi-
ble at a central location enables more efficient transportation of equipment
between sites and easier job planning with assigning tools to specific jobs.
If a tool is stored in a vehicle overnight, the driver will receive a theft alert
when any tools are taken out of the vehicle.
Ford Pro launches tool tracker
hile the national TVET month may have ended on 31 August,
technical and vocational training remains high on the agenda as
applications open at most of the TVET Colleges around the coun
try for 2023 students.
Empowering young people with skills and knowledge is an essential activ
ity in building and maintaining the economy of any society. This has been the
driving force behind an image campaign being run via a TVET partnership
project between the Handwerkskammer Erfurt (HWK), the RMI and TVET
institutions in the Eastern Cape, funded through the German Ministry of
Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ).
“While we may often look towards schools, colleges and universities as
education institutions, vocational skills such as motor mechanics, hairdress
ing or plumbing, to name just a few, certain practical skills cannot be taught
in a classroom, or even in a TVET college alone,” says Birgit Mac Mahon, the
resident project manager for the HWK.
She says no school can teach what actually goes on in an Auto repair
workshop, where young learners not only learn how to repair and service
cars in a live environment, but also learn other highly valuable skills like how
to become a responsible member of a staff, how to deal with customers and
how to handle cars entrusted by the customer.
In the automotive sector, private automotive workshops play an import
ant role in training young people to become motor mechanics, and with
the support of government institutions, the cost of training can be mitigat
ed for workshops with the added advantage that they can train their own
future technicians.
Finn Auto Repair & Diagnostics in Gqeberha is one such workshop. They
have been training young people since 2013, and in cooperation with PE
TVET colleges since 2019. The owner, Jack Finn, currently has three ap
prentices at his workshop. Together with his wife Bridget they decided to
cooperate with PE TVET College in a government scheme to introduce ap
prenticeship training in selected TVET colleges. During the three-year ap
prenticeship, the apprentices alternate between the college where they are
taught theory and practical skills, and their employer to deepen their practi
cal skills and additional skills within the working environment.
aguar Land Rover have announced a global upskilling drive, in a bid to
train 29 000 people in the next three years for its connected and data
capabilities, and to support the rapid transition to electrification.
The company’s Future Skills Programme will see more than 10 000 Jaguar
Land Rover and franchised retailer employees in the UK, and nearly 19 000
across the rest of the world trained in skills vital to electrification, digital and
autonomous cars. This underlines the company’s commitment to develop
ing its future engineering and manufacturing skills and supports the delivery
of Jaguar Land Rover’s net zero targets.
The Future Skills Programme is key to the success of Jaguar Land Rov
er’s Reimagine strategy, which will see all Jaguar and Land Rover modern
luxury cars available in pure electric form by the end of the decade.
Currently around 80 percent of nearly 1 300 franchised Jaguar Land Rov
er retailers around the world offer electric vehicle servicing, so to tackle the
skills gaps, the company is ensuring the majority of servicing technicians will
receive electrification training this year.
As well as technicians, Jaguar Land Rover plans to retrain thousands
of highly skilled automotive engineers and production employees, who
previously worked on the development of internal combustion cars, to spe
cialise in electrification, digital and autonomous cars.
As the production of electric cars at Jaguar Land Rover plants ramps up,
plant employees at all levels will require training to ensure they can work
safely alongside the high voltage systems in electric vehicles.
With an eye on ensuring the next generation are also equipped with
future skills, the company is also bolstering its global apprenticeship pro
gramme by adding a further 1 200 apprentices to the Jaguar Land Rover and
retailers schemes around the world.