For the second year in a row Toyota has walked off with the Overall Gold at the annual Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (SAVRALA) awards.

SAVRALA – whose car rental and leasing members manage more than 400 000 vehicles a year in South Africa – hold its annual industry Manufacturer of the Year (MOTY) awards as a barometer of the relationship between the industry and itself.

 Toyota placed first in both the Rental and Leasing categories, which also secured them the position of overall winner for the second year consecutively.  Hyundai and Kia came in second and third position respectively.

For 24 years, the MOTY awards has aimed to reward motor manufacturers for the level of service and support provided to SAVRALA members.  At least 33 of the largest Rental and Leasing companies in South Africa complete two comprehensive surveys annually, assessing 38 criteria across various areas of their business, such as communication and contact with manufacturers, support on both a manufacturer and dealer level, maintenance issues, various financial aspects and B-BBEE compliance.

To eliminate any personal bias when these surveys are completed, companies hold panel discussions involving employees who are knowledgeable about each criterion.

This approach ensures that an objective and company-wide perspective is obtained and that the results can be used by the manufacturers to identify and address any gaps in their service delivery to the Rental and Leasing industries.

The results clearly show the bar has been raised yet again, with the Rental score rising to its highest level since 2011.  Leasing was not part of the MOTY process in 2015 or 2016, hence it is encouraging to see more emphasis being placed on this industry since its return.

Rental Results for 2019:

Toyota improved its Rental score by 3,7% and retained its winning position.  Renault continued its upward march by moving into joint second position, one position up from third spot last year.  For the first time in MOTY history, Kia broke into the top three by sharing the second position with Renault. Hyundai completed the podium positions by taking third.

Kia also received the award for the most improved Manufacturer, having improved its Rental score by 13,6% since 2018.

The Value award is presented to the automotive member that has scored the most combined points for the Financial section, and for the second consecutive year, Toyota has taken top spot.

The Tutuka award recognises the best scoring automotive member who supplies lower and niche vehicle volumes to the car rental industry. This year, the award went to Mini.

	RENTAL WINNERS
	Gold	Silver	Bronze
2015	Volkswagen	Audi	Toyota
2016	Volkswagen	Hyundai	Toyota
2017	Volkswagen	Toyota	Hyundai
2018	Toyota	Shared BMW and Volkswagen	Renault
2019	Toyota	Shared Kia and Renault	Hyundai

Leasing Results for 2019:

On the leasing side, Toyota is the winner for the third consecutive year, followed by Hyundai, who came second for the third consecutive year.

Nissan made a return to the podium.  The last time Nissan was in the Top 3 was in 2013, but it has managed to claw its way back in 2019 by taking the third position in the Leasing category.

The award for the Manufacturer who improved the most since 2018 was presented to Datsun, who improved their 2018 score by 18,8%.

The Value award for the Manufacturer scoring the best for the Financial section on the Leasing survey was awarded to Toyota, who also won this award in 2018.

	LEASING WINNERS
	Gold	Silver	Bronze
2017	Toyota	Hyundai	Volkswagen
2018	Toyota	Hyundai	Volkswagen
2019	Toyota	Hyundai	Nissan

Best Representative Awards for 2019:

While success is seldom the result of the efforts of one individual, it certainly requires someone to ignite the spark.  For their part in maintaining a successful relationship between supplier and customer, the awards for the Best Account Executive for Rental goes to Queen Ramaliwa from BMW and for Leasing to Faan Fourie from Toyota.  The Best Technical Representative, as voted by both the Rental and Leasing participants, was once again awarded to Ramatjitla Penyane from Toyota.

Congratulating all the winners on their achievement, SAVRALA President, Winston Guriah, lauded Manufacturers on both the Rental and Leasing side for their commitment to true partnership.

“At a time when the economy faces what seem to be insurmountable challenges, it is reassuring to know we have customer-focussed partners on whom we can depend unwaveringly. My hearty congratulations to all the deserving winners today. Your efforts inspire continuous improvements, which bodes well for all customers, not just the members of SAVRALA. We are grateful for your commitment and support,” says Guriah.

MOTY helps each manufacturer identify their strengths and work on the areas of weakness as highlighted to them by their customers.  It is clear from this year’s results that the industry is prepared to award those that are willing to take up the challenge, lift their level of commitment and align their efforts with the needs of the industry.