Ford dealers will invest nearly R1bn upgrading their facilities across South Africa over the next three years, according to Neale Hill, president of Ford Motor Company Africa.
He said Ford’s 2023—2024 Global Retail Assessment study showed a strong correlation between upgraded retail design and business success.
Market newcomers, particularly low-priced models imported from China and India, continue to erode the sales of long-established legacy brands, leading to some marques rationalising their dealer footprints in South Africa. But Ford says its dealer partners’ pledging more than R900m in investment over the next three years reaffirms the brand’s commitment to long-term growth and local relevance.
“While some brands may be consolidating or rationalising, Ford is evolving its dealer business to meet the needs of modern customers. That’s because our dealer model works, and we believe it’s a truly sustainable business,” said Hill.
“Retail facilities that align with Ford’s global design standards consistently outperform non-upgraded sites on key customer-facing metrics.”
He added that rather than focusing on outright scale, Ford’s strategy will be to right-size facilities, optimise location, improve digital readiness and upgrade aftersales infrastructure to better serve tech-savvy and time-conscious customers.
Ford has 118 facilities across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Eswatini, ranking the brand among the top three by size in South Africa.
This year 20 new Ford dealer projects and facility upgrades are starting or scheduled for completion, and the network supports more than 10,000 direct jobs in South Africa, said Hill.
“Dealers play a critical role in bringing the brand to life, ensuring Ford’s values, service standards and customer promises are upheld across every touchpoint.”
Ford is a volume brand with the locally built Ranger holding the position of South Africa's best-selling double cab.
Dealer sales across all brands accounted for more than 85% of all new vehicle sales in South Africa during the first half of the year, with the balance split between the rental market (8.2%), corporate fleets (3.2%) and government procurement (2.7%).
New-vehicle sales recorded their ninth successive year-on-year improvement in June and there have been 236,914 new vehicles sold in South Africa for the year to date — a 12.9% increase compared to the same period last year.
“Though coming off a low base in 2024, the numbers are not just a rebound, they are a show of force from South African motor dealers,” said Brandon Cohen, chair of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (Nada) after the release of June sales figures.
“When you consider the layered complexity of our operating environment — from domestic politics to global supply pressures — these figures reflect the unmatched responsiveness and customer focus of our dealer networks across the country.
“South African consumers are showing remarkable resolve and our dealer community is matching that with operational excellence and customer-centric innovation. If these trends hold, 2025 may yet prove to be a landmark year for our sector.”
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