Durban, South Africa – 11 June 2025
UD Trucks Southern Africa (UDTSA) reaffirmed its commitment to excellence and transformation during its highly anticipated 2025 Annual Dealer Conference (ADC), held on 06 June at the luxurious Zimbali Hotel in Durban. Under the stirring theme “Excellence Beyond Limits,” the conference honoured dealerships and individuals who demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation throughout 2024 — a year that demanded resilience, strategic focus, and customer-centric agility.
A Milestone Gathering with Global Significance
This year’s event drew additional prestige with the presence of Koichi Ito, President and CEO of UD Trucks Corporation, marking his second visit to South Africa. His attendance served as a powerful endorsement of the region’s critical role within the global UD Trucks network.
“Southern Africa continues to be a beacon of strength for UD Trucks internationally,” Ito said during his keynote. “It’s inspiring to witness the dedication, innovation, and transformation taking place here — this region truly lives our brand promise of Going the Extra Mile.”
Championing Brand Advocacy Through Innovation
In a significant evolution of the awards programme, UDTSA introduced a dedicated Marketing category for the first time. This new accolade celebrates dealerships that have played a key role in amplifying brand awareness and deepening community engagement, underlining the company’s vision of empowering dealerships to become brand builders as much as product and service providers.
A total of five core categories were awarded on the night — Sales, Parts, Service, Connected Services, and Marketing — each spotlighting exceptional dealership performance across critical operational and strategic pillars.
Honouring the Network’s Finest
The most coveted titles of the evening were awarded to dealerships and leaders whose consistent performance, innovation, and customer service excellence elevated the entire network:
- Dealer of the Year – Sub-Saharan Africa: Gerhard Rossouw of Nors Namibia was applauded for steering his dealership to top performance across multiple business areas in the region’s emerging markets.
- Dealer of the Year – Medium (South Africa): UD Trucks Ermelo, under the stewardship of Gert Swanepoel, received top honours for excellence in delivery, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
- Dealer of the Year – Large (South Africa): The event’s highest accolade went to McCarthy Commercial Vehicles Alrode, with Dealer Principal Gabisile Fakude accepting the award to resounding applause. One of the few female leaders in the network, Fakude’s win stood as a poignant symbol of UD Trucks’ ongoing transformation journey and commitment to diversity in leadership.
Overcoming Challenges with Customer-First Solutions
Despite a turbulent macroeconomic landscape in 2024, UD Trucks Southern Africa recorded notable achievements — driven by a customer-first mindset, innovation in service, and product reliability. Among the year’s highlights was a significant uptick in UD Service Agreement adoption, with one in every two trucks sold now under coverage — an initiative credited with enhancing vehicle uptime and operator confidence across the region.
“Our dealers continue to raise the bar in customer service, business innovation, and brand advocacy,” said Filip Van den Heede, Managing Director of UD Trucks Southern Africa. “These awards recognise more than just metrics — they celebrate the shared values of excellence, resilience, and collaboration that underpin our network’s success.”
Fabrice Gorlier, Senior Vice President of UD Trucks International Sales, reinforced this sentiment:
“Southern Africa remains one of UD Trucks’ strongest international markets. The progress and achievements of our dealer partners reflect the high standards of retail excellence we aspire to globally.”
A Network Poised for the Future
With a dealer footprint of over 49 locations across Southern Africa, UDTSA’s continued investment in dealer development, customer support, and innovative service solutions is laying the groundwork for sustainable, long-term growth.
The 2025 Annual Dealer Conference not only celebrated past achievements but also set a bold vision for the future — one focused on transformation, smart logistics, and an unwavering commitment to helping customers thrive.
Congratulations to all the 2024 award winners — your success exemplifies what it means to go beyond limits.
