AUTOFORUM

MISA TV shines spotlight on Skills Gap in SA’s Motor Industry

May 27, 2026 Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), Martlé Keyter, MISA TV, South African Motor Body Repairers Association (SAMBRA), Juan Hanekom,

MISA TV shines spotlight on Skills Gap in SA’s Motor Industry

The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), South Africa’s largest trade union in the motor sector, has launched its official YouTube channel, MISA TV, to inform, educate and promote dialogue on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. In its latest interview: https://youtu.be/56oefwL4X6Y, MISA TV sat down with Juan Hanekom, National Director of the South African Motor Body Repairers Association (SAMBRA), to unpack the pressing skills gap confronting auto body repairers in an era of increasingly advanced vehicles.

Hanekom highlighted the complexity of repairing modern cars, particularly the influx of technologically sophisticated Chinese models. “Chinese cars have a lot of technology. The repair process is more complex because every aspect of the car has technology. What this means for workers is that there must be an upskilling of skills. Entry-level vehicles now require technicians with high-level skills to know that a bumper is not just a bumper. A headlight is a very complicated piece of electronic equipment with a mind of its own. The skills to repair this must be introduced into the workplace,” said Hanekom.

The interview also touched on broader industry challenges, including shrinking insurance segments, rising fuel prices, and global economic pressures. Hanekom noted that SAMBRA represents nearly 2,000 shops and 1,200 panel beaters, yet the sector still faces massive shortages of qualified technicians.

MISA CEO of Operations, Martlé Keyter, emphasised the union’s commitment to bridging this gap: “As the largest trade union in the motor industry, MISA believes in empowering and upskilling our members. We have already trained hundreds of workers, enabling a garage attendant to transition from pouring petrol to becoming a sales executive at a dealership. This year, we plan to intensify our training programmes to ensure that workers are equipped to meet the demands of modern vehicles and to secure the future of our industry.”

Through MISA TV, the union aims to amplify worker voices, highlight industry challenges, and showcase solutions that strengthen skills development and democratic accountability in the motor sector.

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