Wilken Communication Management
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Communication Management for the Retail
Motor Industry Organisation. The views and
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www.automobil.co.za
September 2022
driVer’S Seat
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editor’S letter
he whole world is bombarded and challenged with new technology
on a daily basis and we can all agree that the last two years have
taught us the importance of good communication, of collaboration
with peers and colleagues and of the importance of continuing to add
value to members.
There is no doubt that we have to take note of the
changes and be ready and agile to learn new things,
adapt and innovate to remain relevant and grow. Lon-
ger standing members will remember when in 2018 we
started speaking about the importance of embracing
the convenience of technology, but never at the ex-
pense of personal connection.
We appreciated how much easier it is to send an
email, or WhatsApp or telegram message than
picking up a phone or seeing someone in per-
son. No one could have predicted what would
happen in 2020, and at least we were slight-
ly ahead of the curve when circumstances
left us no other choice.
Today however I must stress
that we must never forget the
power of personal interaction,
particularly in a member driven
association such as ours.
I personally think if we forego
this side, we are experiencing a great
loss – the skill of interacting directly with another human being on a per-
sonal level. That personal touch and awareness is lost when any form of
writing or new technology is used.
While we all have to accept and embrace new thinking models in order
to improve efficiencies, we should not completely ignore the benefits and
uses that personal interaction bring when sharing important information. I
encourage all of you not to ignore the personal touch. Many of our younger
members may prefer the digital channels, but they will never absorb our
culture if communication is confined to that, and isn’t our cultural essence
what really differentiates us as an organisation at the end of the day? It is too
easy to become distracted and disconnected when the cameras are off and
you are not eye balling each other around a table.
We need to continue to inspire our employees and embrace the human
essence. Our employees and members are invaluable assets, so we need to
take good care of them and play by the rules. It is important to appreciate
that employees and members don’t expect everything to be spun positively,
instead they are seeking authentic conversations, ones that require not only
content, but contact and context as well.
So while we continue to evolve and I guess as an industry, seek to attract
and retain Gen Z – the digital natives – who truly have never known a world
without accessible digital technology, remember it also may be the fight for
talent and loyalty that will still demand more mobility and flexibility in how
we reach out to one another.
Jakkie olivier
RMI Chief Executive Officer
Embracing technology to improve communication
pring is well and truly here and while it represents new beginnings in
nature it also feels like the motor industry is blossoming once again.
Recent motoring events like the Cars in the Park classic car show
at Zwartkops attracted excellent crowds while the Festival of Motoring was
well attended by the public too and offered a lot of activities to keep them
entertained. By all accounts the event was a relative success despite the lack
of motor manufacturers present, with only a handful using the opportunity
to showcase their latest offerings
Similarly, the logistics sector of South Africa recovered further during the
month of July, following three months of subdued overall activity. This is
according to the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index, which closely tracks six
sub-sectors of the logistics sector for a true reflection of the industry.
Many challenges remain for the sector and the economy in general, in-
cluding high fuel prices, rising interest rates and the negative impact of reg-
ular load shedding. However, vastly different trends are evident when zoom-
ing into the different sub-sectors of the industry. Four of the six components
that make up the Ctrack Transport and Freight
Index increased on an annual basis during July,
with the star performer once again being Pipeline
transport, followed by Road and Air Freight. Sea
Freight activity also recovered further in July and
moved into positive territory, with annual growth
of 0.6% year on year compared to -10.6% in June.
While first quarter of 2022’s real GDP growth
was stronger than expected, the economy lost
momentum in the second quarter due to the impact of the KZN flooding,
regular load shedding, higher inflation and rising interest rates and we will
most likely see a quarter on quarter contraction in economic growth once
the quarter two results are released. Fortunately the higher level of the July
Ctrack Transport and Freight Index, signals a stronger start to the third quar-
ter of 2022.
I trust that you will enjoy this issue of Automobil and as always be wel-
come your feedback.
reuben van niekerk
reuben@automobil.org.za
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