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
Michelin Tyre Company SA has attained Level 1 Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) certification.
This follows Michelin’s transformation journey that the business started four years ago by focusing on executing a new “People, Profit and Planet” driven strategy in South Africa, aligned with the Michelin Group’s global vision. It also follows a recently concluded “ownership transaction”, says the company.
“We see ourselves as an integral part of every community in which we operate, and we want to play a significant role in growing and developing these communities. When we set out on our transformation journey, we wanted to ensure that we focused on aspects that would make a tangible difference to our stakeholders,” says Marcus Baffoe-Bonnie, Managing Director at Michelin South Africa.

Michelin says its focus on B-BBEE also resulted in greater diversity in all its forms. One such example is the growth of women in management, several unique training opportunities and the development of service providers.
“Another strategic focus at Michelin is employee development. We understand that for us to be sustainable and maintain our position as a world leader in sustainable mobility, we must continue to create opportunities to develop talent, skills, and diversity.
“Through training and mentorship, Michelin invests in growing our employee skills and expertise while helping other stakeholders in our network to do the same within their organisations,” adds Nokonwaba Ngxabazi, Michelin’s Chief Administrative Officer.
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.