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Brand diversification is reshaping South Africa’s motor body repair landscape

Jan 27, 2026 Juan Hanekom, South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (SAMBRA), RMI


Brand diversification is reshaping South Africa’s motor body repair landscape

 

South Africa’s automotive market is evolving at pace. The growing diversity of vehicle brands entering the local market reflects healthy competition and expanded consumer choice. However, while this transformation is most visible at showroom level, its most complex consequences are emerging further down the automotive value chain - particularly within the motor body repair (MBR) sector.

 

SAMBRA recently called for urgent alignment between key industry stakeholders to address structural pressures that, if left uncoordinated, risk undermining the sustainability of South Africa’s automotive repair ecosystem. “This call is not about limiting competition or slowing market entry, but about ensuring that rapid growth is matched by systems capable of supporting it safely, efficiently and ethically,” notes Juan Hanekom, national director of the South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (SAMBRA), a constituent association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI).

 

The country’s vehicle repair accreditation framework was developed in an era of relatively limited brand representation. Today, an expanding range of manufacturers and brand imports - each with unique yet similar repair methodologies, tooling requirements, and OEM approval criteria - is placing increasing strain on a system not designed for such complexity.

 

“Motor body repairers are required to comply with multiple, often overlapping OEM standards, while insurers must administer an ever-growing matrix of brand-specific approval requirements. The result is an industry increasingly burdened by duplication, inconsistent criteria, and administrative inefficiencies - challenges that disproportionately affect independent and smaller repair businesses,” says Hanekom.

 

Hanekom says this growing complexity diverts time and resources away from what matters most: correct, compliant repairs and consumer protection. Safe and economically viable vehicle repair depends on a carefully balanced “sustainability triangle” comprising Original Equipment Manufacturers  (OEMs), motor body repairers and insurers. OEMs, represented by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), set the repair specifications. Repairers, represented by SAMBRA and other MBR’s, carry the responsibility of executing those repairs precisely. Insurers, represented by the South African Insurance Association (SAIA), fund the work and shape approval frameworks.

 

This interdependent relationship only functions when all three parties are aligned. Fragmentation at any point places pressure on the entire system. Crucially, these stakeholders are not competitors - they are partners in a shared value chain with a common responsibility to uphold safety, quality and economic sustainability.

 

“This complexity carries real economic and social consequences,” says Hanekom. The pressures arising from structural misalignment are already visible across the broader motor industry. Increased competition, rising compliance costs and tightening margins have contributed to restructuring and job losses in upstream sectors. “Without proactive intervention, similar outcomes could emerge within the repair sector, which employs thousands of skilled artisans and plays a critical role in road safety,” he says.

 

Importantly, this is not a future risk - it is a present challenge that requires coordinated leadership. SAMBRA is advocating for a more standardised, streamlined approach that supports innovation while reducing unnecessary duplication and red tape. “Standardisation does not dilute OEM integrity or compromise brand differentiation. On the contrary, it provides a consistent foundation upon which competition can thrive responsibly. As a first step the establishment of an Industry Sustainability Forum, initially comprising SAMBRA, SAIA and NAAMSA, will help address these challenges.

South Africa’s automotive sector has demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the past. “Ensuring that the repair ecosystem evolves in step with brand diversification is not optional - it is essential,” says Hanekom.

 

SAMBRA remains committed to constructive engagement and will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure that growth, safety and sustainability advance together.

This conversation is ongoing and remains critical. SAMBRA will share further updates as discussions progress.

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