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Toyota South Africa and Kaizer Chiefs: A Perfect Fit

vuyi on March 4, 2022

By H&H Admin

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) logo will now be included on the Kaizer Chiefs Football Club’s jersey.

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) and Kaizer Chiefs Football Club are pleased to announce that their existing partnership agreement will now include the manufacturer’s logo on the Amakhosi jersey.

The Toyota logo will be emblazoned on the left sleeve of the shirt and will either be black, gold or white – depending on the colour of the shirt.

According to TSAM’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Leon Theron: “Toyota and Kaizer Chiefs have been in partnership for only five years, yet it feels like we have been on this journey forever.

It all started in 2017 when we became the official motor vehicle supplier to Amakhosi – a commitment which was meant to last three years.

“Fast forward to 2022, that collaboration has not waned – on the contrary, we are solidifying our partnership. We are excited that we will now have our Toyota logo emblazoned on the sleeve of Chiefs shirts. Moreover, we could not be more excited as the replica jersey – with similar branding – will soon be available at stores nationwide.”

The existing partnership saw Toyota providing the Club with 20 vehicles to meet all Kaizer Chiefs’ transportation requirements at inception.

With the updated deal, TSAM has added an additional 10 vehicles to the Chiefs fleet – all branded in the famous gold and black colours of Amakhosi. The fleet ranges from hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, bakkies to panel vans and minibuses.

The new deal will also have a sizeable cash component which will help the Club with its day-to-day operations.

Kaizer Chiefs Marketing & Commercial Director Jessica Motaung, expressed her delight over this new multimillion-rand sponsorship deal that has been signed with Toyota SA.

“It is thrilling for us to once again align with a multinational company such as Toyota, that is so prevalently invested in the growth of sport in South Africa and the world,” says Motaung. “Our partnership is an example of how two brands who are trusted by their customers/supporters can come together in order to deliver value for each other and we have no doubt that this new positioning will see us continue to deliver for each other.

“We are looking forward to more exciting collaborations with team Toyota and we will again work toward taking millions of our supporters with on this journey. We will soon be announcing some great initiatives that will benefit them when they return to stadiums and on digital platforms. This way we will continue to ‘lead the way.’”

Kaizer Chiefs and Toyota will take some key learnings from the last five years and enhance Amakhosi supporters experience and engage for the duration of the partnership.

“We are truly grateful to Kaizer Chiefs that they have afforded us a platform to realise some of our ideals through our shared values. We hope that our association can grow from strength to strength and that we continue to be significant players both on and off the field,” Theron concludes.

Toyota Celebrates Sales Leadership in South Africa

vuyi on January 14, 2022

By H&H Admin

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) marked 42 years as the best-selling automotive brand in South Africa.

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) marked 42 years as the best-selling automotive brand in South Africa with a remarkable market share of 25.4%.This means that one in every four vehicles sold locally in 2021 was a Toyota product. Out of the industry total of 464 122, an aggregate of 117 659 units were delivered by TSAM.

The last time TSAM registered a market share higher than 25% was in 2003, and it was not necessarily a good year for the industry as total automotive sales were just slightly above 380 000. 

This was followed by a few years where Toyota garnered a market share just above 19%. Worthy of mention however is that for the past five years, Toyota has been punching above a 20% share – an unprecedented run of success by any local automotive brand in recent history.

Hilux retains its title as the country’s best-selling vehicle with a total of 36 085 units sold – most of which were double cabs. Hiace also continued its supremacy as the ‘people mover’ of choice with a total of 15 699 models sold. The two heroes, assisted by other light commercial vehicle (LCV) models such as Land Cruiser pick-up and Dyna, propelled TSAM to its highest LCV market share of 42.2%. 

Toyota’s market share of 19.2% in the passenger segment is the highest in the last 12 years – matching a similar figure in 2018 – and comes in the wake of two stellar performances by the Corolla Cross in November and December. 

Other notable figures were posted by Starlet and Urban Cruiser last year – 12 103 and 8 899 respectively for 2021. Toyota’s truck division Hino posted an impressive market share of 25.1% in the Medium Commercial Vehicle (MCV) segment and registered a 5.5% share in Heavy Commercial Vehicles.

TSAM is also proud that its Parts’ Supply business distributed no less than 16 million items to domestic dealers, while close to 4 million pieces were shipped outside of the country in 2021.

Toyota Sales Breakdown

In December, TSAM continued to power ahead with sales of 9 580 – leading in both Passenger (5 603) and LCV (3 699) segments for the second month in a row.  The December retail represents 26.6% of the total sales of 35 948 units reported by NAAMSA. 

Stand-out performances were recorded by SA’s favourite bakkie Hilux (2 426); the new Corolla Cross (1 752); the affordable Starlet (1 180) as well as the evergreen Hiace (1 024). 

Lexus recorded a total of 51 sales, including 20 ES and 10 RX models. Hino recorded a total of 249 sales. The 300-Series posted 150 units while the 500-Series sold 72 models. 

Toyota Parts Sales

From a parts perspective, 1.2 million pieces were supplied to domestic dealers while a further 305 000 units were shipped across the borders in December.

According Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM: “The last month of the year is not traditionally successful when it comes vehicles sales. This is mainly due to the limited days of doing business as well as many customers and dealers withholding vehicle registrations in order to record new models in the New Year. However, we are truly grateful for the 26.6% market share recorded last month.”

Theron also paid tribute to Toyota’s employees, dealers and other business partners for their support: “When we established the brand in South Africa in 1961, we focused on establishing a wide dealer network that directly serves customers. We genuinely appreciate all those who have been part of the Toyota journey to date, including dealers, staff as well as all the various brand ambassadors and customers.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa joins Toyota South Africa in celebrating Toyota Corolla Cross

vuyi on November 3, 2021

Press Release: Toyota South Africa Motors

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) hosted the President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa at its manufacturing plant in Durban on Tuesday. The President – accompanied by a delegation of public officials, including the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel had joined Toyota in celebrating the opening of the Corolla Cross production line in Prospecton, KwaZulu-Natal.

TSAM’s newest production line further reaffirms the company’s investment commitment to the South African economy and the local automotive sector. Established some 60 years ago, Toyota in South Africa has grown significantly over the years and now manufactures Hilux, Fortuner, Corolla Quest and Hi-ace at its Prospecton Plant, while selected Hino and Dyna models are produced as SKD or semi-knocked-down assemblies.

In his remarks, President and CEO of TSAM Andrew Kirby noted: “If you tally up the investments we’ve made in this plant spanning the last five years – of which Corolla Cross accounts for R2.6 billion, we arrive at a cumulative figure of over R6.5 billion. So, we are therefore committed to further developing and strengthening our business in South Africa and making a difference in the country, our communities, our suppliers, dealers, customers and of course in own employee’s lives.”

The introduction of the Corolla Cross model has generated a total of 575 new jobs at the TSAM plant while over 1200 direct jobs were created in the component supply base. Another significant focus during the project was to maximise the local content for this model.

This resulted in the localisation of 621 parts with 56 local suppliers – 16 of which are Black-owned. TSAM has also onboarded five new Tier-1 suppliers (all Black-owned) and 12 new Tier-2/3 suppliers. The economic contribution with TSAM’s local suppliers for this project is over R1.4 billion per annum.

To mark the official opening of this significant event for TSAM, President Ramaphosa had initially officiated a ribbon-cutting ceremony – flanked by Andrew Kirby; Imai-san; Nigel Ward; Minister Patel and other regional public officials – before addressing a number of dignitaries and other stakeholders in the automotive industry in the company’s auditorium.

According to Ramaphosa: “I had called upon Japanese carmakers to strengthen their investment in South Africa. A few months later at the second South Africa Investment Conference, Mr Andrew Kirby came up to stage to announce Toyota’s new investment (R2,6 billion)… I am particularly pleased to see that the announcement that was made has led to the creation of so many jobs – a total of 1 775 jobs made through the announcement of the investment [of the Corolla Cross production].”  

The new Corolla Cross is based on the acclaimed Toyota New Global Architecture platform, or simply the TNGA platform. As of August 2021, 32 Toyota and Lexus models are using this platform and now account for approximately 70% of global Toyota sales. From a regional marketing perspective, the Corolla Cross is produced in both right- and left-hand drive variants and is also the first model to be produced en masse on the continent. It will be exported to more than 40 countries in Africa.

Lexus SA commits to planting trees for each Hybrid sold

vuyi on October 8, 2021

Lexus South Africa has committed to plant enough Spekboom trees for every hybrid model sold locally; in an effort to offset each of the vehicles’ carbon emissions for at least one year.

Lexus, a subsidiary of Toyota, who have already announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, is equally committed to the Paris Agreement (international treaty on climate change) and its call to the world to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global warming.

As part of this commitment, Lexus SA has launched a campaign on various media platforms, to conscientise the local market about its drive to plant Spekboom for every hybrid vehicle sold. As of mid-August 2021, Lexus South Africa had already planted more than 6 000 Spekboom plants at the Owl Rescue Centre in Hartbeespoort.

Spekboom are succulent plants that help remove carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and can absorb between four and 10 tonnes of carbon per hectare. They are excellent soil-binding plants for preventing soil erosion, can grow as tall as five metres and can live up to 200 years.

What is also telling in the context of alternative vehicle propulsion and electrified mobility is that Lexus has been a pioneer and an innovator in the luxury car market since the launch of the RX 400h in 2005. The brand’s electrified vehicles have accounted for a cumulative global reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 19 million trees.

In 2020, 33% of global Lexus vehicle sales were electrified variants. As a luxury brand, Lexus in South Africa has been a leading light in electric vehicles, further cementing TSAM’s commitment to carbon neutrality.

Internationally, Lexus has eclipsed the major milestone of two million global sales of electrified vehicles at the end of the first quarter of 2021, reflecting a commitment to the reduction of carbon emissions across a significant number of luxury segments. This is a clear indication that like the parent-brand Toyota, Lexus is firmly on the path to carbon neutrality.

Toyota Wins the Most Awards in SA Car of the Year Competition

vuyi on October 8, 2021

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) is proud to have won three categories in the 2021 South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) Car of the Year competition.

In the Budget classification, Starlet came out tops, with the legendary Land Cruiser Prado scoring the number-one spot in the Adventure SUV category while SA’s favourite bakkie – Hilux – won Double Cab of the year. The latter also claimed second place overall, beating 21 other finalists across the nine categories.

 

The competition was open to vehicles that were launched in South Africa between November 2019 and April 2021.  Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, it was also the first time that the scoring was done completely electronically (there were no official test days in which all the finalists could be evaluated at the same facility by the jurors). The scoring was based on the jurors’ experiences testing the vehicles throughout the year.

The fact that we have won three categories with vastly different models is testament to our diverse offering.

– Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM

According to Toyota South Africa, it’s category winners –  Prado, Starlet and Hilux –  have been performing remarkably well on the local sales charts. The Prado has been averaging around 90 units a month while the Starlet and Hilux have cumulatively sold more than 6 000 and 25 000 units respectively since the beginning of the year.

“We are truly grateful for the recognition received from the local media. The fact that we have won three categories with vastly different models is testament to our diverse offering –  providing our customers with as many options as possible,” said Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM.

Photo Cred: Cornell van Heedern

Tribute to a global industry giant, the late Dr Johan van Zyl

vuyi on August 10, 2021

On Friday 6th August 2021, industry player from around the globe, joined Toyota South Africa bid farewell to one of Africa’s business giants, Dr Johan van Zyl, during a touching celebration of his life and legacy.  

Dr van Zyl began his career with the company in 1993 as Director for Vehicle Sales & Dealer Network. He was appointed President and COO of Toyota South Africa (TSA) in 2002, and President and CEO in 2003. In June 2009, Dr van Zyl was appointed as a Managing Officer, Toyota Motor Corporation(TMC), CEO of Africa Region in April 2013, and Senior Managing Officer in April 2017.

In 2015 he took on the role of President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe (TME) until his retirement in early 2021. It was noted that he left an indelible mark there too as, under his tenure, sales in Europe passed the one-million mark in 2019 for the first time in 10 years. On his return to South Africa, Dr van Zyl remained chairman of TSA.

He was without a doubt my mentor and confidante and I’m going to miss bouncing ideas off him.

– Andrew Kirby, Dr van Zyl’s successor and current President and CEO of Toyota South Africa

“The Doc”, as he was affectionately known, had an uncanny sense of knowing just what consumers want and he was able to instill this thinking in all his colleagues, which is why he had such a profound impact on the Toyota Family.

But for all his successes in the corporate world, what “The Doc” will be remembered for the most was his humanity – his ability to remember the name of each and every person he came into contact with, his self- deprecating sense of humour that immediately put everyone at ease, and his comprehensive wealth of general knowledge.

Due to the pandemic restrictions, physical attendance at the company’s Sales and Marketing head office was limited to close family, friends and Toyota colleagues, but thanks to technology, close to 7000 from around the globe were able to watch the livestream and playback of the proceedings.

It was a fitting tribute to a truly remarkable captain of industry as all 14 speakers attested to. Andrew Kirby, Dr van Zyl’s successor and current President and CEO of Toyota South Africa, was personally appointed by the Doc.

“I owe my career and many opportunities that I have been given to Johan. He helped me develop and lead me to where I am today. He was without a doubt my mentor and confidante and I’m going to miss bouncing ideas off him.”

Brand Pretorius recalled that the last time he stood at the podium in the Toyota Auditorium was 26 years ago when he was still at the helm of Toyota; then it was for his own farewell, and now it was for farewell of another kind, but a far sadder one – saying goodbye to his lifelong friend. Interestingly, it was Brand that set Johan on the automotive path, having poached him from academia.

“From the first moment I met him I could sense his formidable intellect and integrity. I was also impressed with this sense of attitude, energy, passion and saw some definitive leadership qualities that would lead to greater things. I knew we needed him to be part of the Toyota team. In 1993, we had a vacancy for the Director of Sales and Dealer Network. I recruited him and got him to join Toyota… He did a brilliant job and I was immensely proud of him.”

Brand Pretorius

And true to that prophecy he did scale the heights of automotive excellence, landing the top spot as President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe (TME) in 2015. His successor, Matthew Harrison recounts that he “will forever remember his leadership and humour. He leaves behind an incredible legacy of his six years in Europe. Under his leadership, we grew the business to over 1 million sales and Toyota became the Number-two passenger car brand for the first time in our history.

He saw the opportunities to partner with government and to grow local component manufacturing

– Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Trade, Industry & Competition

We also led the market in terms of our electrification mix and environmental performance. At the same time, we increased our profitability… We will also never forget his personal engagement in the Brexit negotiations to ensure the best possible outcome for Toyota.”

The Minister of Trade, Industry & Competition, Ebrahim Patel echoed Matt’s sentiments, highlighting how Johan was instrumental in helping to shape the new fit-for-purpose APDP.

“He saw the opportunities to partner with government and to grow local component manufacturing. He just had passion for industrialisation. By 2019, before the pandemic hit, the industry in South Africa had reached record local production and export levels – a tribute to his leadership and his work.”

What was noteworthy is that despite the fact that each speaker touched on a different aspect of their time with the Doc, there was one golden thread – and that was sheer quality of his humanity. Roelf Meyer, summed it up the most appropriately: “Johan had the most unassuming nature – his interactions with people from grass-roots level to presidents was the same. It was a model on how all people should conduct themselves.”

It’s therefore fitting that Andrew Kirby closed off the event with the announcement that in recognition of Dr Van Zyl’s significant contribution to the SA motor industry, the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) is going to set up a memorial education initiative in his name – the proceeds from the members will be bequeathed to TWIMS (Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies) and will be used as bursaries for deserving students.

Toyota South Africa is also going to establish a Dr Johan van Zyl Scholarship Bursary Endowment Fund to further the much-needed education of previously-disadvantaged South Africans. (In a similar vein, Matthew Harrison also announced that TME would be establishing a foundation in Dr van Zyl’s name to support education and uplift young people; a scholarship in the Doc’s name will likewise be set up in Israel.)

Toyota Land Cruiser 300 – World Premiere

vuyi on June 2, 2021

One of the most anticipated new vehicles of 2021, the Land Cruiser 300, will break cover on the 9th of June, 2021. Following months of rumours, speculation and spy-shots, Toyota’s all-new flagship SUV will officially be showcased during a ‘live event’ press conference. 

The Land Cruiser 300 serves as the pinnacle in Toyota’s Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) line-up, and represents the latest in powertrain development and off-road technologies. It also signifies the largest member of the Land Cruiser family (alongside the utility-focused 70-series and ‘mid-size’ Prado stablemates).

The World Premiere will share more detail on the development concept, design, new engine options and tech features.

We’ll share all the details soon.

New on the Tarmac: The Land Cruiser 78 is back!

vuyi on March 10, 2021

The Land Cruiser 70-series needs no introduction, having etched an enviable reputation amongst off-roading enthusiasts, game rangers, farmers and other utility-minded users. The rugged construction and infallible Toyota engines have earned it the reputation of “it just keeps going”. 

The 70-series is offered in three main guises; bakkie (79), station wagon (76) and wagon (78). Due to reduced demand, the decision to drop the ‘78’ from the line-up was made in August 2015, with the ‘76’ and ‘79’ continuing sales. Following some specific market requests for this type of vehicle, Toyota South Africa is pleased to announce the re-introduction of the Land Cruiser Wagon 78.

The specifications mirror that of the previously-offered model, with the exception of a switch to drum brakes in the rear (which provide improved durability in high-dirt operating conditions). 

The LC 78 is powered by the tried-and-true 1HZ 4.2-litre inline-6 diesel engine, producing 96kW at 3800rpm and 285Nm at a low 2200rpm. This is paired to a heavy-duty 5-speed manual transmission and low-range-equipped transfer case. 

The LC 78 rides on heavy-duty steel wheels shod with 7.50R16C tyres and is available in two exterior colours only – Ivory White and Sand Beige.

A 3 year/100 000 km Warranty forms part of the purchase, with service intervals being every 5000km. Customers can purchase tailored service plans and/or warranty extensions from their Toyota dealer. 

Model Line-up & Pricing:

LC 78 4.2 DIESEL WAGON – R 716,000*

*This model will be sold on a customer order only basis.

TOYOTA REVEALS THE NEW PASSENGER MODEL TO BE BUILT IN DURBAN

vuyi on February 2, 2021

This car, the all-new Corolla Cross, is tangible proof of our commitment to the local motor industry, as well as the South African economy.

– Andrew Kirby, TSAM President and CEO. 

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has announced that it will be manufacturing and selling the brand-new Corolla Cross in South Africa in the fourth quarter of the year. The model reveal, made by TSAM President and CEO Andrew Kirby, follows the company’s announcement in 2019 that it was investing R2.43 billion in the production of a new passenger vehicle in South Africa.

  • Image courtesy of MotorPress
  • Image courtesy of MotorPress
  • Image courtesy of MotorPress
  • Image courtesy of MotorPress
  • Image courtesy of MotorPress
 

“We will be manufacturing this very model [Corolla Cross] in both right- and left-hand drive for South Africa and the rest of Africa right here at Prospecton. The Corolla Cross is based on the acclaimed Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform and will be built on our passenger car production line alongside the Corolla Quest,” says Andrew Kirby, TSAM President and CEO. 

It is the very first time that we will be manufacturing a Hybrid model which I believe will fast become a very popular choice.

– Nigel Ward, TSAM’s Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Manufacturing Support Group

The local production of the Corolla Cross also ushers in a couple of “firsts” for TSAM’s manufacturing team at the Prospecton Plant.

“This is a significant milestone for Toyota South Africa. It’s not often that we get to produce a brand-new body shape in our factory; plus, it is the very first time that we will be manufacturing a Hybrid model which I believe will fast become a very popular choice. And it’s the first time for us to manufacture using the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) – which allows us to keep up with global technology and trends,” says Nigel Ward, TSAM’s Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Manufacturing Support Group. 

WATCH: Andrew Kirby introduces the proudly and locally manufactured Toyota Corolla Cross

The Corolla Cross will be exported to 43 countries in Africa and is expected to push Toyota export volumes to about 15-20% per annum. Toyota is projecting growth of 7% per annum in the SUV market in Africa – offering significant growth opportunities to expand production of this new model. 

This is an ideal vehicle for our market as it provides an exceptional balance between drivability, roominess, comfort and high-tech features

– ANDREW KIRBY, TSAM PRESIDENT AND CEO

While the Corolla Cross shares the same TNGA C platform with its namesake Corolla, it boasts a higher ground clearance and other attributes normally associated with an SUV.  

 

According to Kirby: “This is an ideal vehicle for our market. It provides an exceptional balance between drivability, roominess, comfort and high-tech features – truly a game-changing SUV. It combines everything you love about Corolla with the utilitarian and rugged aesthetics of a segment-leading SUV. Overall, expectation is that the Corolla Cross will not only contribute significant sales towards the Toyota brand, but also accelerate growth mini-SUV segment, increase overall size of the passenger market in South Africa and give momentum to electrification technologies.”

“This car, the all-new Corolla Cross, is tangible proof of our commitment to the local motor industry, as well as the South African economy,” says Kirby.

A comprehensive specification, including pricing, of the local models will shared upon product launch in the fourth quarter of 2021.