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
Absa and Messe Frankfurt SA, the organisers of Automechanika Johannesburg, are proud to announce the next in a series of webinars under the banner of ‘Let’s Talk Business,’ where industry leaders unpack the key trends shaping the market.
The webinars are aimed at sharing insights with those in the automotive and related industries concerning the latest innovations in technology, changes in regulation and policy, and challenges and opportunities across the sector.
In partnership with Absa Bank and organised by Messe Frankfurt SA, the third webinar in the series is scheduled for 14:00 on 22 February 2022 and will focus on the evolution of the automotive retail sector, exploring the future role of dealerships and the shift towards digital retailing.
The emergence and adoption of digital technologies have created consumer demand for customised solutions. Consequently, the automotive retail landscape is faced with a transition from physical dealerships toward digital retailing, whilst grappling with the relationship between the two. The webinar will delve deeper and discuss these changes and how the industry, and consumers, can best adapt to them.
“We are excited about this upcoming webinar and confident that our audience will gain valuable industry information on the impact of these trends on dealers and other companies in the automotive retail sector,” says Tracy Gounden, Portfolio Director at Messe Frankfurt SA. “We are honoured to have Absa as our partner in this series and for their contribution in developing the content and theme for each webinar.”
The line-up of speakers for this webinar includes some of the industry’s top experts such as:
• Thami Letsoalo, Manager Business Development Retail Sector & Franchise, Absa Bank, change to Business Development Manager: Automotive Sector - Absa
• George Mienie, CEO of Autotrader
• Henry Botha, Head: Strategy & Business Analytics Absa Secured Lending – (Vehicle Finance and Home Loans)
• Mark Dommisse, National Chairperson: National Automobile Dealers Association
“The Let’s Talk Business webinar series offers key trends and insights enabling industry players to make informed decisions to ensure their businesses remain relevant and respond to evolving consumer needs,” says Thami Letsoalo, Automotive Sector Specialist at Absa.
“At Absa we are committed to forging partnerships such as ours with Messe Frankfurt South Africa, to support progress towards building a strong automotive industry and aid the adoption of digital innovations.”
Messe Frankfurt SA and Absa have two more ‘Let’s Talk Business’ webinars scheduled in the build up to Automechanika Johannesburg, which is scheduled to take place between the 7-10 June 2022 at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
For more information, or to register for the webinar, please visit the Automechanika website at www.automechanika.za.messefrankfurt.com or contact Amukelani Mathebula at Amukelani.Mathebula@za.messefrankfurt.com
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.
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.
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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.