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As we bring you the penultimate edition of the NADA Newsletter for the year, there are encouraging signals that the environment in which our industry operates is beginning to stabilise and, in some areas, improve.
South Africa’s hosting of the G20 on African soil for the first time was more than a diplomatic milestone. It was a powerful signal of confidence in our country’s role as a serious participant in global economic dialogue, and in Africa’s growing relevance in shaping future markets. For the automotive sector, this matters. Global confidence, policy alignment and investment sentiment ultimately filter through to local manufacturing, retail and consumer behaviour.
Closer to home, the recent interest rate cut has provided welcome relief for businesses and consumers alike. While no single adjustment can reverse years of financial pressure, this move improves vehicle affordability, eases pressure on household budgets and begins to restore consumer confidence. These are not theoretical shifts, they are practical changes our members will experience in their dealerships, workshops and customer interactions.
However, realism remains essential. Our industry continues to face structural challenges, from rising operational costs and skills shortages to increasing compliance complexity and rapidly evolving consumer expectations. The difference now is not the absence of challenge, but the presence of opportunity alongside it.
It is against this backdrop that we look ahead to the #NADAConnect Conference in March 2026. Returning as NADA’s premier national gathering, the conference will bring together dealers, OEMs, suppliers and industry leaders under the theme “Driving Relevance and Competitiveness in a Changing Market.”
With the theme Be Inspired. Gain Insights. Drive Results., the 2026 conference aims to move away from the standard presentation format, instead offering demonstration-driven, practical and applicable sessions that allow attendees to actively engage with the topics.
Delegates will benefit from data-driven insights, expert market analysis, interactive workshops, and powerful networking opportunities – all designed to elevate dealerships and strengthen competitiveness.
Have you registered yet? Don’t miss a powerful morning of insights and connection with fellow dealers, industry leaders and key stakeholders. Secure your front-row seat today. Best of all, attendance is free thanks to the generous support of our #DealerConnect sponsors: Automate, Cars.co.za, Lightstone, NADA, Tracker, and WesBank.
Let’s keep building on this momentum through open communication, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to strengthening South Africa’s automotive retail sector.
Brandon Cohen
Chairperson
NADA
DEALER ADVANTAGE: UNLOCKING VALUE WITH TRACKER
For buyers, a new vehicle purchase is more than a transaction. It’s an emotional and practical milestone. Buyers are motivated by status and self-expression but also seek safety and reliability. Increasingly, they associate safety with advanced vehicle features, including tracking technology.
By installing a tracker in vehicles prior to sale, dealers unlock a dual advantage: safeguarding stock before delivery and offering added value to customers at the point of sale.
CHANGING LANES
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK MAKE THEIR PRESENCE FELT
South Africa’s vehicle market is in the middle of a shake-up. Traditional best-sellers like Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford are losing share, while fast-growing new brands from China including Chery, Omoda, Jetour, JAC and Beijing shift from niche to mainstream. We unpack how quickly the balance has changed since 2000, track the slide from a 60% – 70% share for legacy brands to below 50%, and explore what a 10% share for new entrants means for OEMs, dealers, consumers and the broader automotive value chain over the next few years.
DRIVING FORWARD: HOW DATA AND TRUST WILL SHAPE SOUTH AFRICA’S AUTOMOTIVE FUTURE
By Ayesha Hatea, Director of Research & Consulting, TransUnion Africa
South Africa’s auto industry is pivoting decisively. For decades, the market was shaped by badge, prestige and predictable supply chains. Today, it is being redefined by value-driven consumer choices, tighter household budgets, and rapidly evolving mobility models from leasing and subscriptions to usage-based insurance. In this transition, trusted data and consumer-centric strategies must be our compass. And in South Africa, that compass must also account for our realities: grid reliability, policy shifts on new-energy vehicles, and the affordability gap that households feel every month.
