Hyundai South Africa believes the country’s increasingly competitive automotive market will not be won on vehicle price alone, as established manufacturers face growing pressure from new entrants and changing consumer expectations.
With 67 automotive brands now competing for consumer and fleet spending in South Africa, Hyundai Automotive South Africa CEO Stanley Anderson says purchase price is only one part of the value equation.
As newer players, particularly Chinese automotive brands, expand their presence, Anderson believes aftersales support, parts availability, depreciation, repair times and dealer coverage will increasingly influence which brands South Africans choose.
Hyundai South Africa looks beyond the purchase price
“A lower purchase price can certainly attract a customer,” Anderson said.
“But the ownership equation goes much further. Depreciation, parts availability, repair times, dealer coverage and total cost of ownership all influence the value of a vehicle.”
His comments come as South Africa’s automotive landscape undergoes a significant shift.
Consumers now have more brands and vehicles to choose from, creating increased competition for established manufacturers such as Hyundai.
For Hyundai South Africa, the response is not simply to compete on showroom prices, but to strengthen the overall ownership experience.
Aftersales becomes part of the brand battle
Hyundai says approximately 90% of its accident-damaged vehicles are returned to the road within 30 days, highlighting aftersales performance as one of the areas it considers important to its competitive position.
The company also closely monitors vehicles belonging to corporate customers.
According to Hyundai, these vehicles are tracked by their vehicle identification numbers, and any unit remaining in a workshop for more than three days triggers intervention from the company’s senior corporate team.
“A vehicle that is sitting in a workshop is not generating value for a corporate customer,” Anderson said.
“Downtime has a real business cost, which is why aftersales performance is an important part of our competitive proposition.”
For fleet customers in particular, that means the relationship with an automotive brand can continue long after a vehicle leaves the dealership.
Hyundai South Africa faces an increasingly crowded market
The competitive environment Anderson describes is particularly significant as new automotive brands continue entering and expanding in South Africa.
The arrival of more manufacturers has widened consumer choice and increased competition around pricing, specifications, technology and value.
But Hyundai’s argument is that the longer-term test will include what happens when a customer needs servicing, replacement parts, repairs or support.
That places dealer networks, workshop capacity and aftersales infrastructure alongside price and vehicle specifications in the competition for customers.
Hyundai has spent decades building that infrastructure locally.
The company has sold more than 800,000 vehicles in South Africa and currently operates a national dealer footprint of approximately 100 outlets.
From fourth place to a top-three ambition
Anderson now wants Hyundai South Africa to move from its current fourth-place position into the country’s top three automotive brands within the next three years.
The company is already working with its global parent on a three-to-four-year product pipeline.
Potential vehicles are being assessed against South African market demand, specifications and pricing before decisions are made about introducing them locally.
“Our next phase is about disciplined growth,” Anderson said.
“We have built the infrastructure and the customer base. Now we need to continue investing in the right products, the right capabilities and an ownership experience that creates value over the long term.”
Stanley Anderson brings decades of Hyundai experience
Anderson’s strategy comes with extensive experience inside the company.
He joined Hyundai Automotive South Africa in 2001, became Marketing Director in 2004 and moved into the role of Sales and Operations Director in 2015.
He was appointed CEO in July 2025.
His career at Hyundai therefore spans much of the brand’s growth in South Africa, including the expansion of its customer base and dealer network.
Anderson also brings more than 36 years of experience in the local automotive industry as he leads Hyundai into its next phase.
Hyundai South Africa is betting on long-term value
The bigger battle in South Africa’s automotive industry may therefore extend far beyond which manufacturer can put the lowest price on a windscreen.
As dozens of brands compete for the same customers, manufacturers will increasingly have to differentiate themselves through the complete ownership experience.
For Hyundai, that means combining the right products and competitive pricing with parts availability, dealer coverage, quicker repairs and aftersales support.
The strategy also highlights a broader question facing established automotive brands as South African buyers gain more choice: what makes a customer stay with a brand after the initial purchase?
Hyundai’s answer is that the relationship after the sale could become just as important as the deal that gets the customer into the vehicle in the first place.
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Source: Hyundai Automotive South Africa media release issued to Pat on Brands on 29 September 2026.
As competition in South Africa’s automotive market intensifies, read our earlier story, New Chinese Car Brands Launching in South Africa in 2026, for a closer look at the new players challenging established automotive brands.
