Having worked for the automotive aftermarket industry for more than 35 years and being with Robert Bosch Company for more than 25 years in different regions of the world, I am enthusiastic about the changes that improve the customer experience.

The Right to Repair campaign is all about the customer, in this instance the vehicle owner: they now have the power of choice of where to service their vehicles. This is a major breakthrough for the independent workshops in South Africa

I am passionate about the opportunities in the automotive aftermarket. Th Right to Repair campaign is an excellent platform that offers consumers a choice of where to have their vehicles serviced. G.U.D. Holding’s brands which include G.U.D. Filters, FRAM Filters, Safeline Brakes and Indy Oil are all manufactured to OE specifications and are premium quality. GUD Filters is an iconic South African brand that has earned its loyalty from mechanics and motorists since 1949. We believe that customers should have the freedom to choose and we support the development of an open and fair automotive indsutry.

Competition can be hard, but it must be fair. Right to Repair supports this philosophy and that is where the South African roads should lead. This initiative will drive much needed change and provide opportunities for the automotive aftermarket from which consumers and entrepreneurs will benefit. We must bring the rights to our aftermarket in the way that our colleagues in other continents have already done through the Right to Repair initiative.

After 21 years of having my own workshop I came to the realisation that this is what makes me tick. Commitment and making a success of what I have started are what leads me to challenge the way things are done in the industry. Aftermarket workshops need to evolve with time and technology without the burden of barriers and an anti-competitive market. We need to stay strong and dedicated in our belief in equal opportunities for independent businesses.

As an active member of the automotive aftermarket industry for the last 30 years, I have personally seen how the anti-competitive nature of the manufacturers has negatively impacted consumers and businesses alike.
R2RSA and a willing and open-minded DTI/ Competition Commission has finally paved the way to fair competition by publishing the Guidelines which champions consumer choice and promotes equal entrepreneurial opportunities in our industry, ensuring long lasting benefits to the South African economy at large.
I am proud to be a part of this movement and will continue to support and drive the principles of the Right to Repair for the betterment of consumers, businesses and to help ensure a sustainable South Africa automotive aftermarket well beyond my time in this industry.

I have been part of the South African Motor Industry for the past 45 years in diverse portfolios and structures. I have seen and experienced the anti-competitive behaviour against the small independent aftermarket workshops and the threat this poses to their existence. I will continue to champion the cause of Right to Repair in all its facets, to ensure that the future of the independent aftermarket workshop is secured for posterity.

The Right to Repair Campaign is driving a whole new focus on consumer choice and opening up competition in the automotive aftermarket. This organisation has now successfully given the end consumer the freedom of choice as to where to take their vehicle for servicing or repairs.

With the passion in the aftermarket business we see endless opportunities and benefits for consumers, SMEs, entrepreneurs, and all that love and own vehicles.

I am passionate about small and medium businesses and entrepreneurship.

Anti-competitive behaviour blocks the development of a strong SMME sector.