This Week In The News

NEWS IN SHORT

• South Africans are finally embracing e-commerce in a big way, with sales reaching R71-billion in 2023, or 6% of total retail sales in the country. It represents 29% growth from the R55-billion in 2022
  
  
• Amazon.co.za is live. US e-commerce giant Amazon has quietly launched its South African online storefront without so much as a statement about it.
  
  
• Shell confirms it is leaving South Africa Petrochemical giant Shell has confirmed that it will divest its
  shareholdings in Shell Downstream South Africa (SDSA) and sell all its local assets including over 600 service stations and forecourts.
  
  
• The most stolen car parts in South Africa are airbags, batteries, tailgates, headlights and wheels and tires. 
  
  Chop shops have an estimated trade value of about R442 million, which makes stealing and reselling car parts a lucrative business on the black market, sometimes more lucrative and less traceable than reselling a stolen vehicle.

• South Africa’s Road Accident Fund (RAF) is being bled dry by “suspicious and exorbitant” claims, according to CEO Collins Letsoalo.

• South Africa has among the most dangerous drivers in the world, contributing to some 12,000 road deaths every year. 
  
  The biggest cause of road fatalities in South Africa is drivers focusing on something other than the road ahead of them, the most common distractions including using ing a cell phone, eating food, or applying make-up. 

• “The automotive industry contributed over 5% to the country’s economy in 2023. The industry is widely regarded as one of the industrial policy success stories of South Africa’s democratic era owing to the constructive collaboration between industry and government and the cleverly designed automotive policies since 1995.” Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa 

• Automakers are coming under pressure from the broader economic downturn that is starting to weigh even on resilient luxury consumers.
  
  Ferrari shares fell the most in three years after the luxury-car maker reported underwhelming earnings and failed to raise its outlook.
  
  Porsche last month warned of a slowdown in China, where buyers have put off purchases as a real estate crisis undermines confidence.

• 21 new Chinese cars coming to South Africa this year. The number of Chinese cars in South Africa is growing at an exponential rate, as there are at least another 21 cars scheduled to make their debut before the end of 2024.

 

JAC has launched a new, more affordable Lux version of its T8 bakkie in South Africa.

At a new starting price of R399,900, the T8 gets the accolade of being one of the most affordable double cabs in the country. Standard equipment on the Chinese double cab includes xenon headlamps, a rear style bar, 18-inch alloy rims, LED daytime running lights, manual aircon, all-round electric windows, leather seats, a multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, a reverse camera, rear parking sensors, remote keyless entry, and a 9.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Each purchase carries a 5-year/100,000km warranty and a 5-year/100,000km service plan.

 

Audi driving experience returns to South Africa

Dates and pricing

The one-day event takes place at the Kyalami Raceway in Midrand, Gauteng in July, September, and November, and is available over the following periods:
Event 1 – 17 to 21 July
Event 2 – 25 to 29 September
Event 3 – 20 to 24 November

The program runs from 08h30 to 16h30 each day, and prices start at R16,100 per person.

 

South African launch of next-generation Toyota Prado delayed.

The local arm of Toyota confirmed that the delayed introduction of the new Prado is “due to homologation processes.”

Homologation refers to the evaluation of whether a vehicle meets domestic
standards and regulations, which is usually performed by an official body such as the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications, and it must be completed by each new car entering the country.

The SUV is now scheduled to land in South African dealerships in June with the media to get their first taste of it in July, said Toyota.

The complete specifications and pricing for the next-generation Prado will be announced closer to its launch date.

 

Ford Goes to the Movies – Iconic On-screen Moments over the Past 100 Years

If ever there was a car made for the movies, it was the Mustang. Launched in America in April 1964 it didn’t take movie directors long to realize its silver screen value.

• The Model T was a regular feature in the iconic comedy, Laurel and Hardy
  
  
• A Mustang made the first of its many movie appearances in the classic Bond film, Goldfinger in 1964
  
  
• The 1967 Ford Mustang GT Fastback model driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 movie Bullitt spawned a Mustang Bullitt tribute car, that was locally available in limited numbers during 2019

Another very early appearance of a Ford Mustang was in the 1966 motor racing epic, Grand Prix.

One of the best laugh-out-loud sequences involving a Mustang and James Belushi, was the movie entitled K9, in reference to the police jargon for the dog-handling units in American law enforcement.

Further along the Mustang trail, Gone in 60 Seconds, the 2000 remake of a minor classic starred Nicholas Cage and a gun metal grey version of a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500. (www.ford.co.za/about-ford/newsroom/)