Suzuki ends 2023 just shy of 50 000 units, starts January with a bang

Suzuki Auto South Africa (Suzuki SA) ended 2023 with sales of 49 573 vehicles – up more than 460% from the 8 833 vehicles sold in 2017. Over the past six years, the Japanese compact-car specialist,... 

Hino to double solar energy output at its Durban plant

Hino South Africa (SA) will this year double the energy output from the solar roof panel project at its truck assembly plant in Durban, says VP Anton Falck.  “Currently the roof panels provide 600... 

Vehicle crime ramped up towards the end of 2023 – Tracker

Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for July to December last year show an increase in vehicle crime, with a peak in November. Data from the asset tracking company also shows that a business-owned... 

Households can now apply to sell their excess solar power to the City of Cape Town 

The City of Cape Town is now enabling households to earn cash for the power generated from their solar photovoltaic generation systems.  Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says a first round of applications... 

2024 Car of the Year finalists announced

The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) has announced the 18 finalists of the Old Mutual Insure 2024 Car of the Year (COTY) competition. “We eagerly await the upcoming competition... 

VW could announce third production model this year; expects uptick in 2024 car market

Volkswagen Group Africa (VWA) will hopefully this year receive the final confirmation on the production of a third model at the Kariega plant, says MD Martina Biene. This third model will add to... 

Cape Town recovers 53 km of stolen cable, 1.2 t of metal

The City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) specialist metals theft unit, the Copperheads, recovered more then 53 km of stolen cable during the last six months of 2023. The unit says it executed 404... 

Transnet needs ‘the right, permanent management, quickly’ – Stellenbosch University academic

State-owned rail and port operator Transnet could, potentially, show significant improvement this year, compared with last year’s dismal performance, says transport economist and macrologistics... 

Construction of Stellantis’ R3bn Coega auto assembly plant poised to start in May

Construction work on Stellantis’ assembly plant in the Coega Special Economic Zone, in the Eastern Cape, should kick off in May, says the vehicle manufacturer’s new CEO, Mike Whitfield. The start... 

Volkswagen spends big to counter loadshedding as it becomes sole Polo supplier

Volkswagen Group South Africa, now trading as Volkswagen Group Africa (VWA), is investing R55-million to generate 3 MW in additional solar energy for its assembly plant in Kariega, in the Eastern... 

Initial signs that energy sector is stabilising; logistics to take longer – Minerals Council 

The domestic mining industry is looking at 2024 as a year of stabilisation, rather than growth, says Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane. The industry continues to face persistent... 

Cape Town reports nearly R4bn boost from 2023 events

The City of Cape Town has reported an almost R4-billion boost from the raft of events hosted in the Western Cape capital last year. The events include Africa’s first Netball World Cup, the ICC... 

Multibillion-rand Cape Winelands Airport aims to receive first passengers in 2027  

 Cape Town’s proposed second big commercial airport, Cape Winelands Airport (CWA), should receive its first passengers in 2027, says RSA.Aero MD Nick Ferguson. RSA.Aero is the project developer,... 

Port of Maputo reports record volume for 2023

The Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) says the Port of Maputo achieved a record volume of 31.2-million tons in 2023, up 16% on the previous year. MPDC is a public–private partnership between... 

Yet another negative month for new-vehicle sales

New-vehicle sales declined by 3.8% in January, to 41 636 units, compared with the same month last year. This continued the decline in new-vehicle sales witnessed in the last five months of 2023. 

DP World, Woolworths unveil axle-powered refrigeration trailer

Logistics group DP World has partnered with food and clothing retailer Woolworths to roll out a refrigeration trailer featuring AxlePower technology. AxlePower “transforms ordinary road transport... 

Stellantis plant to break ground in May; Citroën key as volume brand going forward – Whitfield

Construction work on Stellantis’ assembly plant in the Coega Special Economic Zone, in the Eastern Cape, should kick off in May, says the vehicle manufacturer’s new CEO Mike Whitfield. The start of... 

Cape Town’s Copperheads unit recovers 53 km of stolen cable, 1.2 t of metal

The City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) specialist metals theft unit, the Copperheads, has recovered more than 53 km of stolen cable during the last six months of 2023. The unit says it executed 404... 

Transnet needs ‘the right, permanent management, quickly’ – Havenga

State-owned rail and port operator Transnet could, potentially, show significant improvement this year compared with last year’s dismal performance, says transport economist and macrologistics... 

Ranger, Toyota dominated used car sales in 2023 – AutoTrader

The number of used-car sales last year increased by 4.6% compared with 2022, this according to AutoTrader data.  Overall, 367 075 used cars changed hands, at an average selling price of R399 163. 

Ashok Leyland enters Southern African market with Dost workhorse

India’s Ashok Leyland has entered the Southern African commercial vehicle market with its Dost 1.5 l ℓturbodiesel workhorse. Headquartered in Chennai, with nine manufacturing plants, Ashok Leyland... 

Bell Equipment founder’s grandson named CEO

Bell Equipment has appointed Ashley Jon Bell (41), grandson of company founder Irvine Bell, as new group CEO, effective January 1. This follows the July resignation of outgoing group CEO Leon... 

City of Cape Town issues independent power tender

The City of Cape Town has issued the latest in a series of power-related tenders aimed at mitigating the impact of loadshedding and diversifying its energy supply from Eskom. The city says this is... 

Metair appoints O’Flaherty as new CEO

Automotive and energy group Metair has appointed Paul O’Flaherty its new CEO, starting from February 1. This follows Sjoerd Douwenga’s resignation at the end of last year. 

Takealot rolls out ten JAC battery-powered delivery trucks

Online retailer Takealot has deployed ten JAC N75 EV battery electric trucks to make deliveries in Gauteng and the Western Cape. The company in November welcomed four N75 four-ton electric trucks... 

Tyre stakeholders team up against illicit tyre trade

The South African Association of Freight Forwarders, the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC), the Tyre, Equipment and Parts Association (Tepa) and the Tyre Importers Association of... 

ReElement Technologies signs MoU with Afrivolt to set up African battery, EV supply chain

Nasdaq-listed American Resources Corporation’s ReElement Technologies has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with energy storage company Afrivolt to establish a lithium-battery and electric... 

Aqora becomes Afrivolt, aims for battery cell manufacturing in Cape Town

South African energy company Aqora has rebranded to become Afrivolt, says MD Deshan Naidoo. The firm’s goal, however, remains the same – opening a lithium-ion cell gigafactory in South Africa, able... 

Sodium-ion batteries continue their advance as Altris, Clarios announce collaboration

Low-voltage battery solutions manufacturer Clarios and sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery technology developer Altris have partnered to develop low-voltage Na-ion batteries for the automotive industry.... 

DTIC to impose antidumping duties on windscreens from China

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) will impose antidumping duties on windscreens imported from China, to be used in the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) area as... 

Stellantis invests in sodium-ion battery tech

Stellantis Ventures, the corporate venture fund of auto maker Stellantis, says it has “become a strategic investor” in Tiamat, a France-based company that is developing and commercialising... 

Multibillion-rand Cape Winelands Airport aims to receive first passengers in 2027  

Cape Town’s proposed second big commercial airport, the Cape Winelands Airport (CWA), should receive its first passengers in 2027, says RSA.Aero MD Nick Ferguson. RSA.Aero is the project developer,... 

Electric buses to be rolled out in DBSA-funded project in Tshwane, eThekwini 

Tshwane and eThekwini could see the rollout of 39 electric commuter buses by the end of next year. The introduction of the zero-emissions vehicles will form part of a pilot project funded by the... 

DTSA launches online parts platform

Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) has launched a new e-commerce platform – the Daimler Truck Parts Portal. The platform works on a click-and-collect basis, which means customers can buy parts... 

Eagle Eye Defence aims to roll out in-vehicle biometric security system this year

South African startup Eagle Eye Defence has developed an in-vehicle security system that uses fingerprint verification to start the powertrain. Cofounder Iviwe Mosana describes Eagle Eye Defence as... 

SA-made nature-mimicking shark-barrier tech scores first commercial installation

The ecofriendly SharkSafe Barrier technology, developed by marine biologists at Stellenbosch University (SU) and their collaborators, and manufactured in the Western Cape, has been installed at a... 

DHL to test Volkswagen’s electric ID.Buzz Cargo vans in South Africa

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has partnered with DHL Express for the pilot testing of the electric ID.Buzz Cargo van in South Africa. Four ID.Buzz Cargo units have been placed at DHL Express... 

Vehicle sales up 0.5% in 2023 – Naamsa

New-vehicle sales in the domestic market inched up by 0.5% in 2023 compared with 2022, says Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council. This follows jumps of 13.9% in 2022 and 22.2% in 2021. 

Cape Town’s waste management directorate procures new compactors, street sweepers

The City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) Urban Waste Management Directorate says it is in the midst of procuring a number of new trucks and equipment for use in and around the city. The directorate has a... 

Study shows SA has the most lenient road rules out of 17 countries

South Africa has been ranked as the country with the most lenient road rules in a new study that compares 17 nations across the globe. This study is not a measure of how strict police and...