naamsa crowns excellence at SA Auto Week

The naamsa Accelerator Awards, powered by WesBank, were a stunning apogee to the highly anticipated SA Auto Week 2024.

Hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre [CTICC] on the evening of Friday, October 18, the awards ceremony brought together industry and government leaders, innovators, journalists, and key stakeholders to honour the finest achievements across the automotive value chain. As the pinnacle of the week, the awards embodied the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and sustainability that defined the event.

Mikel Mabasa, naamsa CEO, described the awards as a pivotal moment for the sector: “The naamsa
Accelerator Awards reflects the heartbeat of the automotive industry, celebrating excellence and
innovation that drives us forward. As we celebrated our centenary this year, naamsa honoured
people, their achievements that set the standard for the future, and for the significant contributions
made to the growth and sustainability of the automotive industry in South Africa,” said Mabasa.

naamsa’s unique recognition system, which relies on independently audited data, ensured that the
awards were objective and comprehensive. Winners were selected based on a rigorous performance evaluation across multiple categories, from product innovation to socio-economic impact.
Among the celebrated winners were:

1. NEW VEHICLE SALES CATEGORY
   Passenger Car of the Year: VW Polo Vivo;
   Biggest Achiever of the Year | Passenger Segment: Citroen C3;
   Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year: Toyota Hilux;
   Biggest Achiever of the Year | LCV Segment: Ford Tourneo Custom;
   Medium Commercial Vehicle of the Year: Isuzu N-Series;
   Heavy Commercial Vehicle of the Year: Isuzu F-Series;
   Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicle of the Year: Mercedes-Benz Actros;
   Bus of the Year: MAN Bus;
   Other Commercial Vehicle Achiever of the Year: MAN TGM;
   New Energy Vehicle of the Year | Battery Electric Models: Volvo EX30;
   New Energy Vehicle of the Year | Plug-in Hybrid Models: BMW X1;
   New Energy Vehicle of the Year | Traditional Hybrid Models: Toyota Corolla Cross
2. MANUFACTURING CATEGORY:
   Top Locally Manufactured Vehicle of the Year: VW Polo;
   Top Exported Vehicle of the Year: VW Polo.
3. DEALERSHIP CATEGORY
   Dealer of the Year | Passenger: Suzuki Bassonia JHB;
   Dealer Achiever of the Year | Passenger: Haval Northcliff
4. IMPORTERS CATEGORY:
   Top Imported Vehicle of the Year: Suzuki Swift.
5. TRANSFORMATION AWARDS:
   Job Creators | OEMs Employment: Toyota South Africa Motors
   Job Creators | MHCV Employment: UD Trucks Southern Africa
   Job Creators | Importers Employment: Hyundai South Africa
   Youth Empowering | OEMs Manufacturing: BMW SA (PTY) Ltd
   Women Empowering | OEMs Manufacturing: BMW SA (PTY) Ltd
   Youth Empowering | MHCV Manufacturing: MAN Automotive SA (PTY) Ltd and UD
   Trucks Southern Africa
   Women Empowering | MHCV Manufacturing: UD Trucks Southern Africa
   Youth Empowering | Importers Manufacturing: Hyundai South Africa
   Women Empowering | Importers Manufacturing: Hyundai South Africa
6. WesBank TRANSFORMATION PERFORMANCE AWARDS:
   Maintaining BBBEEE Level 1 | OEMs: Isuzu Motors South Africa
   Achieving BBBEEE Level 1 | MHCV: Daimler Truck Southern Africa
   Most Improved BBBEEE Scorecard | OEMs: Nissan South Africa
   Most Improved BBBEEE Scorecard | MHCV: Daimler Truck Southern Africa
   Most Improved BBBEEE Scorecard | Importer: Hyundai/Mitsubishi/Renault/KIA
   
   The Top Media House of the Year Award was presented to AutoLive. The ceremony also honoured
   individuals who have significantly contributed to the industry’s narrative. Denis DROPPA received
   the Top Auto Journalist of the Year award, while Brenwin NAIDU was named Top Business
   Journalist of the Year. Kumbirai MTSHAKAZI was recognized as the Top Emerging Auto Journalist
   of the Year.
   
   The Ceremony bestowed distinct recognition to policymakers and industry stalwarts. The 2024
   Former Minister Alec ERWIN received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, and MEC MVOKO received a special recognition award. Industry stalwarts Norman LAMPRECHT and Stuart RAYNER were recognised as Industry value creators.
   
   Reflecting on the event’s success, Mabasa expressed optimism for the future of South Africa’s
   automotive industry.
   
   “The SA Auto Week and the naamsa Accelerator Awards have set a new standard for what is possible. Together with many of our partners, we have laid a strong foundation for better collaboration and partnership in the future. With the curtain drawn on SA Autoweek 2024, the naamsa Accelerator Awards have reaffirmed the industry’s commitment to pushing boundaries
   and fostering progress. The legacy of these awards will continue to inspire excellence, driving the
   automotive sector towards a future of new possibilities and sustained impact”, said Mabasa.