GWM South Africa, garnered three awards at the 30th annual SAVRALA Manufacturer of the Year gala in Johannesburg, solidifying its reputation as one of the country’s trusted and rapidly-rising automotive brands.
The MOTY Awards, which are held under the auspices of the Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (SAVRALA), recognise motor manufacturers for excellence in the service and support they provide to its members, who manage approximately 400 000 vehicles a year through rental and leasing channels.
SAVRALA is the representative voice of Southern Africa’s vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management sector and its members have a national footprint of over 600 branches countrywide. Associate members include most motor manufacturers and importers as well as sales and service companies in allied industries. The sector employs approximately 12 000 people and sustains many more jobs throughout the local automotive industry. The MOTYs are therefore a respected industry benchmark, recognising excellence in design, reliability, service, innovation and value.
Rising Star
GWM received the award for Rising Star in both the rental and leasing categories, while Geraldine Pillay, GWM’s National Fleet Manager, was a joint recipient of the award for Best Account Executive in the leasing category, which she shares with her counterpart at Volkswagen South Africa.
“Winning these awards is a strong endorsement from the vehicle rental and leasing sector,” says Desmond Els, Sales Director at GWM South Africa, “which is a key stakeholder group for GWM. It is also a validation of GWMs commitment to quality, reliability, value and service excellence.”
Industry Recognition
The awards are made based on two comprehensive surveys completed by 41 car rental and leasing companies in South Africa. These are used to measure the level of service and support they receive from the manufacturers they interact with regularly and whose vehicles are represented in their fleets. They cover a range of key touchpoints for clients, including consistently reliable client service, ease of communication, the handling of maintenance issues, the smoothness and transparency of financial transactions, and B-BBEE compliance.
A key requirement is that participating rental and leasing companies must involve all the relevant people within their businesses to complete the various sections of the survey. This is to ensure that the results are not biased and can be used by the manufacturers to identify and rectify any pain points that may come to light.
Commitment to Growth and Partnership
“In accepting these awards, we acknowledge the dedication of our employees and dealer partners across the business,” Els continued. “Their commitment ensures that every interaction with GWM reflects our promise of reliability and customer care.”
He added that the recognition reinforces GWM’s growing presence in South Africa’s fleet and rental industry, a space where durability, efficiency, and total cost of ownership are critical factors.
The awards, he says, reinforce GWM’s positioning as a growing brand in South Africa and also as one that successfully competes in the fleet and rental industry space. This aligns with GWM’s broader goals of delivering innovation, durability and customer confidence.
