Chery names its first bakkie Grootman
Chery has named its first bakkie for South Africa Grootman, a name chosen by South Africans. The model is planned to make its local debut in the first quarter of 2027.
- Product News
- 2 October 2026
This past Friday (14 October), the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) signed an above-inflation wage agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation (AMEO) that will see workers in the automotive industry receive an 8.5% increase.
AMEO represents motor manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen, while NUMSA is the country’s biggest union with over 400 000 members.
According to the deal that was signed at the National Bargaining Forum, the workers will receive the 8.5% increase in the first year followed by a 7% increase in both the second and third year of the three-year deal, which will be valid until 30 June 2025.
In addition, each employee will also receive a taxable one-off gratuity payment of R10 000.
The union said that workers could expect back pay from July to September at the end of this month.
In August, NUMSA rejected AMEO’s offer of a 6.2% increase in year one, followed by an increase of 5.6% in year two and 4.7% in year three.
In the statement NUMSA released to announce the agreement, they said that it was “significant that we have maintained the standard for the sake of workers and their families, when other unions are encouraging members to sign agreements and settle with (sic) 3%”.
South Africa’s new vehicle market recorded aggregate domestic sales of 61 645 units in September 2026, an increase of 12.7% compared with the 54 706 units sold during September 2025.
SA Auto Week 2026 is scheduled to take place in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, from 13 to 16 October, with the event marking five years of SA Auto Week.
South Africa’s domestic new-vehicle market strengthened in September, recording 61 645 sales, its highest monthly total of 2026. Sales increased by 3 747 vehicles, or 6.5%, from August’s originally reported total and were 12.7% higher than in September 2025.