Suzuki: A South African Success Story
In South Africa, automaker Suzuki was best known for their motorbikes until 2008, when Suzuki Auto South Africa started selling motor cars to South African drivers. Suzuki Auto South Africa is a joint venture between Suzuki Motor Corporation in Japan, which owns 85% of the company, and Suzuki South Africa, an importer and distributor of Suzuki motorcycles and outboard motors.
Today, Suzuki Auto South Africa boasts a national footprint with a dealer network all over the cities of SA. There are currently fifteen dealerships in Gauteng alone!
The company has sold over 100 000 vehicles since 2008. What is the secret to their success? The company seems to deliver hit after hit, giving South African drivers exactly what they are after quality cars at an affordable price point.
Because the company focused on launching vehicles at regular intervals up until 2014, Suzuki became the second fastest-growing brand in South Africa. In 2015, a strong sales drive and targeted growth of the dealer network cemented Suzuki's place in the local auto market. That year's strong performance was boosted by the launch of new models such as the Celerio, Ciaz and the new Vitara - helping Suzuki perform well in an otherwise downturned market.
Since then, things have only got better for Suzuki. Their focus on customer satisfaction paid off as they managed to convince a sceptical and brand loyal audience of the brand's reliability. Managing Director Yukio Sato emphasizes the education and development of employees to ensure that the customer gets the best possible service and ownership experience. Suzuki Auto South Africa conducts continuous internal and external training at all levels to nurture leadership and technical skills. Clearly, this is a company that cares for both customers and employees and realises the link that exists between the two.
The Suzuki Group's motto 'WAY OF LIFE' translates into its range of cars, which they pride themselves on being value-packed and fun to drive. The company has also benefited from its launches being perfectly synchronised with the downsizing trend of today's motoring.
“More and more customers are downsizing from bigger and more expensive vehicles; seeking out smaller cars that offer a high standard basic specification and excellent safety rating while being much more fuel-efficient,” says Sato.
While many automakers have struggled with sales over the past two years of the pandemic economy, Suzuki's sales have been flourishing! Suzuki's sales have grown steadily and have even broken sales records. In January 2022, the marque sold a whopping 3232 new cars in SA and ranked as the third-best automaker after motor giants Toyota and Volkswagen. The Swift is Suzuki's top seller (they sold over 1000 new units this January) followed by the Vitara Brezza (which sold 558 models that month).
Its range of cars has proven to be reliable, affordable, economical to run and most importantly, proven to retain their value. Not bad for a marque that has only been marketed here for sixteen years.