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Stuff from Johannesburg

CEO Breakfast Sets Agenda for Aftermarket Growth

Industry leaders, government representatives and development partners called for coordinated action on localisation, skills, investment and African trade at Automechanika Johannesburg’s CEO Breakfast, held on the international trade fair’s opening day.

Sponsored by Nedbank and hosted by Messe Frankfurt South Africa, the gathering examined how the automotive aftermarket can strengthen industrial competitiveness, expand economic participation and sustain affordable, safe mobility.

An aftermarket driving economic opportunity

Programme Director Victor Radebe championed small businesses and township mechanics, urging stronger connections to new technologies, training and mainstream opportunities. “It’s about the 13 million cars that are on the road. And it’s also about small businesses,” he said. He highlighted the exhibition’s longstanding support for township mechanics and called for skills development to equip them to service newer vehicles.

Michael Johannes, Vice President: Mobility and Logistics at Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, outlined the opportunities presented by a growing, ageing global vehicle fleet. He stressed education, cooperation and affordable mobility. “Automechanika stands for innovation, sustainability, but also for transformation and education,” he noted.

Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition John Steenhuisen positioned the automotive aftermarket as central to localisation, regional exports, road safety and circularity.

Citing R107.5 billion in replacement parts imports during 2025, he highlighted opportunities to retain value domestically. “Localisation must extend beyond the factory gate,” he said, urging investment in technical capability alongside technology.

Investment and inclusion through practical partnerships

Sthembiso Dlamini, CEO of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency, outlined investment facilitation and the Automotive Industry Development Centre’s support for productivity, artisans and township businesses.

Dlamini highlighted the Alexandra Automotive Hub and invited businesses to bring forward expansion plans and implementation constraints. “We will measure success by the investments that have been implemented,” Dlamini said.

Sentle Mokalanyane, Head of Corporate Planning and Strategy at the Automotive Industry Transformation Fund, called for greater aftermarket inclusion in industrial planning and stronger pathways for Black-owned enterprises.

He linked finance with skills, equipment, certification and contracts. “We must build enterprises capable of participating meaningfully in the broader African automotive economy,” he stated.

Siyabonga Mthembu, Partner at BDO, presented research on shifting global production, growing Chinese brands and South Africa’s ageing vehicle fleet. He identified infrastructure constraints and priorities including sourcing, inventory, affordability, productivity and skills. “We produce more but we’re seeing less and less profitability,” he lamented.

Takatso Sello, Senior Manager Manufacturing at Nedbank, urged faster implementation and coordinated financing to protect manufacturing competitiveness. He encouraged businesses to pursue opportunities in local production and stronger supply chains. “Let’s make transactions that are sustainable and that can shape and move the sector forward,” he pleaded.

Technology, safety and connected African markets

Greg Cress, Principal Director Automotive and eMobility at Accenture South Africa, outlined opportunities for reindustrialisation through policy certainty, advanced manufacturing and investment in electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and battery assembly.

He described a future of work involving digital colleagues and human oversight of robotics, supported by continuous learning and “AI-enabled artisans”. “Humans need to do the thinking, the judgment, the accountability, and ask key questions around it,” he said. “We also have to invest in learning and co-learning with robotics”.

Duncan Mutengwe, General Manager Automotive at the NRCS, explained vehicle approvals, replacement component authorisations and market surveillance, emphasising consistent standards for imported and locally manufactured products. “We also protect the environment,” he pointed out.

Bobby Ramagwede, CEO of the Automobile Association South Africa, raised concerns about recall transparency, vehicle safety, transport affordability and industrial policy, calling for stronger accountability. “Let’s take ownership of this industry,” he urged.

Closing proceedings, Michael Dehn, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt South Africa, announced plans for an Automotive Incubator Highway connecting African markets and supply chains.

“We are going to intensify our connective initiatives,” he declared, inviting governments, associations and companies to participate, before leading a curated exhibition tour with the Deputy Minister and other guests.

Automechanika Johannesburg runs until 29 October at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.

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Ponte City: Transformation

As the “white flight” of the 1980s and 90s drained the inner city of capital, Ponte City underwent a dramatic and terrifying transformation. By the late 1990s, the building had become a “vertical slum” and a symbol of urban decay. It was famously “hijacked” by gangs; the retail levels were stripped, and the building became a fortress for drug dealing and human trafficking. The most haunting image from this era was the central core. Originally designed to be a light-filled courtyard, it became a literal trash heap. Residents on the upper floors would throw their refuse into the center of the building rather than taking it down. At its worst point, the trash in the core reached five stories high—a mountain of rotting debris, discarded furniture, and even, legend has it, the remains of those who had fallen or jumped.

During this period, the reputation of Ponte was so toxic that there was a serious proposal in 1998 to turn the entire skyscraper into a vertical prison. The plan was eventually scrapped, but the building remained a “no-go zone” for nearly a decade. The turnaround began in the mid-2000s when developers New Metro Property Group and later Dlala Nje began a massive, painstaking refurbishment. They cleared out the tons of trash from the core, restored the lifts (which had often been out of order, forcing residents to climb 50 flights of stairs), and implemented strict security protocols.