The next chapter in Ducati’s South African journey was written last night as Volkswagen Group South Africa officially took over responsibility for the importing and sales, including parts supply and servicing, of the iconic Italian brand.
Ducati has been owned by Lamborghini, itself a member of the Volkswagen Group, since 2012 so to bring the brand under that umbrella in South Africa is a logical step and should secure the future of the brand in this country for many years to come.
Simphiwe Nghona, Head: Sales and Marketing at VWGA, said: “Ducati is a premium international motorcycle brand with a strong and proud heritage. Over the years, it has built a loyal and passionate client base in South Africa which our company is excited and looking forward to servicing from now on. We are confident that the current and future Ducati clients will positively benefit from our established sales and after-sales processes, as well as our dealer network.”
In a difficult time for the motorcycle industry in SA, VWGA is planning to grow the Ducati brand and broaden the client reach by integrating the Ducati brand into three dealer sites, which will be located in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal. The current approved retailer in Gauteng (World of Motorcycles in Centurion) has been retained for the region. A new retailer in Cape Town, which is an existing Audi dealer, has been appointed. The plans are in progress to appoint a retailer in Durban for KZN.
Nghona added: “We have set an ambitious growth target for the brand in its first two years of full operations under the VWGA stewardship. Our target is to achieve a double-digit market share in South Africa by the end of 2026 from the current market share base. The brand growth will be boosted by a range of exciting models which will be introduced in South Africa over the next two years.”
VWGA has appointed Tertius Cronje to head the Ducati Brand in South Africa. Cronje has 24 years of experience in the automotive retail business gained in the local and international markets. His experience includes 10 years in the motorcycle retail business.
“South Africa is the ideal environment for our motorcycle range, either for track use, twisty roads or gravel. I am sure that this, together with the passion and professionalism of our new partner, Volkswagen Group Africa, will allow us to provide great experiences to our Ducatisti, allowing us to expand our presence in the country and get closer to their needs, also considering that in the country there are some of the greatest collectors in the world of special cars and bikes,” commented Francesco Milicia, Director: Global Sales & After Sales at Ducati Motor Holding Spa.
