NAACAM CEO Renai Moothilal was interviewed on Kingfisher FM’s Big Breakfast Show (Thursday, 5 February 2026) by Gareth Burley following the auto sector’s engagement with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition.
Discussing the state of, and potential within the automotive sector, Renai highlighted, the sector remains a critical economic anchor for South Africa, particularly in regions such as Nelson Mandela Bay, which have strong and established manufacturing capabilities. The sector has multiple significant opportunities, including in the expansion of hybrid vehicle production and in growing export markets, particularly across the African continent.
Realising these opportunities and the full potential of the sector to create substantial economic value addition and jobs, however, requires addressing the structural policy issues facing the sector that are resulting in a high vehicle import penetration, which in turn reduces demand for locally assembled vehicles and components, leading to plant closures and job losses. Listen to the interview here: https://youtu.be/K5uHsZZkUiQ