Explore industry insights, new models, and expert commentary in this month’s edition of Automobil magazine – April 2025  

Director, Asian Forecasting, GlobalData Automotive General Manager
GlobalData Information Service (Shanghai) Co., Ltd

John manages the operations in China at GlobalData’s Automotive Division and has over 25 years of experience in the automotive industry. Prior to joining GlobalData Automotive Division (formerly J.D. Power Forecsating/LMC Automotive) in August 2010, he was with IHS Global Insight, where he was a China Chief Market Analyst for five years, specializing in China’s automotive industry outlook, including sales/production forecasting, manufacturer model-program strategies and government policies. Previously, he worked at the Automotive Industry Office in Huizhou; Dongfeng-Honda Motor Huizhou Preparatory Office; and Ford Motor Company in China. Mr. Zeng has been active at conferences, seminars and other automotive industry events in China, and has been a key speaker at the automotive conferences held in Shanghai, Tokyo, London, Frankfurt and Detroit for the past five years. Additionally, he is widely quoted in global media, such as Bloomberg TV, BBC, CNN, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, AFP, Reuters, Phoenix TV and Automotive News. Also, he is frequently quoted in such domestic media as China Daily, Global Times, People’s Daily, CBN TV, China National Radio and Dragon TV. Mr. Zeng received a bachelor’s degree in engineering, with a specialization in automotive manufacturing engineering, from the College of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Hunan University, China. He received an MBA from Schulich School of Business, York University in Canada.

NADA National Chairperson and regulatory and compliance expert

Brandon specialises in legal, regulatory, and compliance issues within the automotive industry. He holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in International and Company Law. Within the MOTUS Group, Brandon is the lead in governance and compliance. He was appointed NADA Notional Chairman in July 2023.

Senior Economist for FNB

Siphamandla joined FNB in 2019 and is on their team of senior economists. Previously, he served as an economist at Standard Bank. After completing his M.Com in Economics, Siphamandla began his professional career at Nedgroup Investments.

Board Member of the SRF & Partner at Frans Cronje Private Clients

Bheki is a specialised political and economic trends analyst renowned for his practical approach to briefing clients on political, economic, financial, and market forecasts for South Africa. The unerring accuracy of the Social Research Foundation’s predictions for the 2024 Elections has astonished analysts. The analysis offered by the Frans Cronje Private Clients Advisory underscores the complexity of a GNU and coalition negotiations, stressing the need for careful planning and public understanding to navigate South Africa’s political landscape effectively.