Toyota South Africa recognised at the 2024 Naamsa Accelerator Awards
Cape Town Convention Centre: This year’s instalment of SA Autoweek celebrated a century of vehicle manufacturing in South Africa.
The festivities culminated in the Naamsa Accelerator Awards event which took place Friday, 18 October, where Toyota South Africa Motors was honoured with four accolades.
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) took top honours in the Transformation: Job Creators OEMs Employment category, while South Africa’s favourite bakkie, the Toyota Hilux, claimed the Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year award. The locally produced and ever popular Toyota Corolla Cross took home the New Energy Traditional Hybrid Vehicle of the Year award. Additionally, TSAM received further recognition for its contribution to society in the advancement and development of local communities.
“On behalf of the entire Toyota family – including our dealer network, colleagues at our manufacturing plant in Durban, the sales and marketing teams, as well as our customers – we are truly grateful to Naamsa for the recognition. This is especially important considering that both Hilux and Corolla Cross are built locally and are market leaders in their respective segments,”
says Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of TSAM.
The Accelerator awards honour excellence in the automotive industry, highlighting the remarkable achievements of individuals and organisations that have pushed boundaries, fostered innovation, and made significant contributions to the sector's growth and sustainability.
This year’s Autoweek, which ran from Tuesday, 15 October to Friday, 18 October, paid homage to the 100th anniversary of the South African automotive industry. Toyota South Africa Motors took the audience on its remarkable journey through various exhibitions, showcasing more than six decades of doing business in South Africa.
Kiichiro Toyoda founded Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in 1937, in Japan, originating from a textile background – which diverges from the typical origins of other automobile manufacturers. The local founder of Toyota South Africa, Albert Wessels, an early pioneer, recognised the potential of Japanese-built vehicle and sought to establish a foothold for Toyota in the country - ultimately securing an import permit for 10 Toyopet Stout bakkies in 1960. This laid the foundation for Toyota South Africa.
As Toyota South Africa continued to grow over the years, it showed a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility, sport and cultural partnerships as well as local supplier collaborations.
Despite facing various challenges, including natural disasters and market fluctuations, Toyota South Africa has maintained a robust presence in the automotive sector – maintaining market leadership for well over 40 years.
As Kirby sums it up:
“Toyota South Africa's journey over the past six decades is a testament to its resilience, innovation, and commitment to community, shaping not just a brand but a significant part of South Africa's automotive landscape”.
Toyota South Africa Motors President and CEO Andrew Kirby took the Presidential stage and shared Toyota’s global roadmap to net zero emissions through a video presentation by Dr. Gill Pratt, Chief Executive Officer, Toyota Research Institute.
Furthermore, Kirby participated in the SA NEV Transition: Policy Choices, and Support Instruments panel. The discussion covered several critical aspects including incentives for NEV adoption, economic and industry risks, support instruments (including financing schemes for manufacturers, investments in charging infrastructure, and fostering local supply chains for NEV components), and policy framework. The panel discussion also highlighted the complexities involved in transitioning to NEVs and the need for a comprehensive and balanced approach to policy and support mechanisms.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the hydrogen mobility ecosystem demonstration by Toyota South Africa Motors and partners. The proof-of-concept activation – to promote the use of hydrogen as a fuel of the future – utilised the second-generation Toyota Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) fuelled with hydrogen to take several VIPs as passengers on a route to experience the technology.
In his address, President Ramaphosa recognised the automotive industry as a key contributor to the South African economy,
“…The automotive industry has a critical role to play in achieving South Africa’s climate targets. We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the private sector to promote the production of New Energy Vehicles and the development of the necessary infrastructure to support them”.
He further echoed TSAM ethos of a multipath way approach to carbon neutrality,
“…We are working to finalise comprehensive NEV policy guidelines that do not exclude alternative technologies such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids”.
As the centenary celebrations drew to a close, the story of the automotive industry continues to unfold, and there’s no telling where the next chapter will lead.
