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To the members and stakeholders of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your support, dedication, and collaborative spirit throughout my tenure as Chairperson. Together, we have embarked on an incredible journey, overcoming challenges and achieving remarkable growth and milestones that have solidified our position in the industry.
As I pass on the baton of leadership, I implore you to continue nurturing and strengthening the relationships we have cultivated within the automotive industry. Our success lies in the power of collaboration and strategic partnerships, which enable us to navigate the ever-evolving landscape with agility and resilience. By fostering these alliances, we can pool our expertise, resources, and collective wisdom to drive progress and address the multifaceted challenges that lie ahead.
In this era of rapid technological advancements and digital disruption, it is imperative that we remain vigilant and adapt swiftly to industry trends. By staying informed, proactive, and open to innovation, we can ensure the continued success and relevance of our association and the industry as a whole.
Continue to uphold ethical practices at all times to maintain the trust and reputation of our association. Invest in continuous education and support for our members. By providing ongoing training, resources, and networking opportunities, we can empower our members to thrive in a rapidly changing business environment.
Looking towards the future, I hold great hopes and aspirations for NADA. I envision an industry that undergoes a remarkable transformation – one that embraces innovation, sustainability, and customer-centricity. Let us seize the tremendous opportunity before us and continue to drive the success and prosperity of car dealerships.
In conclusion, I extend my deepest gratitude for the trust and support you have bestowed upon me during my time as Chairperson. To the new Chairperson and the NADA NEC, I have full confidence in the capabilities and dedication of our members and the bright future that lies ahead for NADA, guided by our shared values, relentless determination, and unwavering commitment to the success and prosperity of car dealerships.
Thank you once again. It has been a remarkable ride.
Mark Dommisse
Top-level automotive technicians are as qualified in their field as medical specialists
Highly qualified automotive technicians are increasingly scarce in South Africa, as their training journey will encompass Internal Combustion Engines, Hybrid Technology, and Electric vehicles. With most cars having upwards of 30,000 parts and being more of a ‘computer on wheels’ than a people-moving machine, initial training now takes as long as that of a medical specialist, and they must continue training as new models and technologies are introduced.
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In this article, Lightstone takes a look at the five fastest-growing Passenger and Commercial brands and compares the combined Weighted Average Price to South Africa’s market average in each segment. The result is not surprising and suggests that affordability is becoming a key factor in car purchases.
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By Lee Naik, CEO at TransUnion Africa
Right now, the world’s gone crazy. Soaring inflation and economic headwinds are taking their toll on consumers across the continent. TransUnion South Africa’s Q1 Consumer Pulse Study shows that consumers are cutting back their discretionary spend and having to make some hard choices when it comes to paying their bills at the end of each month.1 It’s tough out there.
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Buying a car is, without a doubt, one of the biggest financial decisions most people will make in their life. It is not surprising, therefore, that buyers approach the car buying process with extreme caution, and in most cases, prefer to deal with a physical salesperson that they can see and touch. This is despite most car companies and finance houses now offering secure online platforms where the entire sales process can be conducted virtually.
Fond Farewell to Mark Dommisse, an Exemplary Leader of NADA NEC and NADA Members
As we bid farewell to you, it is with deep admiration and heartfelt gratitude for your exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) and its esteemed councils.
Your journey with the NADA NEC began on 13 July 2017 when you assumed the role of Honda Dealer Council Chairperson, bringing your invaluable expertise and dedication to the table. It was evident from the start that you possessed a rare combination of vision, professionalism, and a genuine passion for the automotive industry. Consequently, your peers recognised your outstanding abilities, electing you as the NADA National Chairperson on 6th March 2018, a position you have served with distinction for an impressive five years and three months, as at the end of June 2023.
Over the span of these remarkable years, you have not only left an indelible mark on our organisation but have also forged lasting relationships and inspired countless individuals within our ranks.
Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader.
– Indra Nooyi CEO of PepsiCo
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Dear Mark
The past 5 years has been an amazing journey under your leadership as National Chairperson of NADA.
Thank you for your extraordinary ability to cut through the clatter and the visionary leadership which helped guide NADA and its members through some of the most difficult economic and world health challenges we have had to face in decades.
You used your leadership skills to bring the NADA team together for a common purpose and elevated the NADA brand and profile in the media to become a trusted source for information and comment on motor industry related matters.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family everything of the best as you all embark on an exciting new adventure in Jamaica. I know that you will be hugely successful in your new automotive role, and I trust that it will lead to more international exposure and growth for your career.
We at NADA thank you for your contribution in the knowledge that you have laid the foundation for a new younger generation to take over the reins and build on the legacy that you have left behind.
God bless, stay safe and take care.
Gary McCraw
Director: NADA
Farewell Mark.
My gratitude for your immeasurable contribution to NADA and more importantly the position of Dealers in SA.
I never doubted your success and took great pleasure in watching you grow NADA to a position of a highly respected body.
I will now take great pleasure in watching you succeed on the international stage as another SA contributor to the Motor Industry.
Good wishes to you and your family.
Derik Scorer
National Senior Vice Chairman: NADA
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To say farewell to someone who has truly left his ’mark’ on the franchise dealer industry is bittersweet.
Bitter because with Mark at the helm of NADA, we took an association known by its members out to the wider South African audience with great success, establishing trust with the media and consumers alike and with Mark leaving, we will miss his charisma, the ease with which he could present the best of NADA to journalists on TV, Radio and print and, amongst the NADA Management Team and NEC, his leadership and direction.
Sweet because the foundation that Mark has established at NADA is robust and all the building blocks are in place to take NADA ever higher by his successors.
I wish Mark all the best in his new Caribbean adventure and am confident that he will make it an incredible success.
Brandon Cohen
Executive Member of NADA NEC
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Mark rose to his role of Chairman in a storm of a marketplace, global crisis environment, and an industry being turned on its head by changing customer behaviour and product demands. He embraced that all in his suave, calm, and reassuring way to become an instrumental and energetic force moulding a powerful position for NADA in the market, more fitting of its value and stature to franchised dealers; but previously not so bold externally.
The momentum being built for NADA could not have happened without his leadership. Mark’s performance in front of media has blossomed to expert level, providing proud NADA moments in the public domain. These moments provided incredible value to every franchise dealer servicing customers.
There is no doubt that he will make a success of his new adventures; bring enormous value to those markets; and while he will be a loss for SA, he has left an enormous amount of value behind him.
Thank you for your service to NADA, the South African motor industry – in particular its franchised dealers – and ultimately, local motorists.
Patrick Gearing
CEO of Meropa Communications
