The Missing Link in South Africa’s Automotive Future
As first published in Automobil Magazine. To read the edition, click here
South Africa’s automotive aftermarket plays a vital role in keeping the country moving and is estimated to be worth over R100 billion, according to the Retail Motor Industry (RMI). It consists of thousands of workshops, parts retailers, and informal traders who together form a critical part of the economy.
But pressure is building where few are looking. As seasoned mechanics and parts specialists retire or move on, the question becomes urgent: who will take their place?
A Growing Gap in a Critical Sector
It’s not that young people aren’t interested. Many are. But between poverty, poor infrastructure, and a lack of exposure to real-life work environments, a significant skills gap is opening and too few young people are given the tools, training, and needed to enter the trade.
According to Statistics South Africa, the informal sector employs nearly 20% of the national workforce. A large portion of this activity happens in the automotive space through backyard mechanics, mobile technicians, parts resellers, and small family-run workshops. These informal operators are often the first point of contact for communities in need of affordable repairs. But they are also disconnected from the larger sector and its evolving technologies.
AutoZone CEO Dion de Graaff sees both a responsibility and an opportunity here. “If we want to build a more sustainable, competitive aftermarket, we have to start at grassroots level. We need to create platforms for emerging mechanics to grow into professionals, for informal traders to access formal supply chains, and for young people to see this industry as a real career path, not just a last resort,” he says.
Equipping the Next Generation
AutoZone believes that the future depends on investing in people, not just infrastructure. The future of the sector depends on nurturing the next generation of artisans, mechanics, and small business owners – the individuals who will keep South Africa’s vehicles on the road and its economy in motion.
AutoZone’s commitment to community support was recently demonstrated through a donation to Roodepark School in Johannesburg. In July 2025, the company provided four fully kitted 103-piece AutoKraft toolboxes to the school’s motor mechanics learners, helping bridge the gap between theory and practical skills.
“This donation is about more than just tools,” says Krystle Stewien, Marketing Manager at AutoZone. “It’s about giving young mechanics a meaningful head start with something practical that they can use immediately.”
Professionalisation doesn’t start after graduation. It starts in the classroom, with the right equipment and real-world exposure. These early investments help create a workforce that is both capable and credible.
Creating Real Pathways to Opportunity
For students in township schools and rural areas, the journey from classroom theory to workshop practice is often out of reach. That’s why AutoZone is partnering with grassroots level organisations like Ubu Investment Holdings, who are creating real bridges between training and employment.
In August 2025, AutoZone will sponsor four township mechanics to attend the NAACAM Auto Shop – one of South Africa’s leading supplier and manufacturing events in the country. This will give them access to technical insights, mentorship, and industry networking otherwise
“This isn’t a once-off gesture,” says Dion de Graaff. “We see this as an investment in emerging talent. Giving young mechanics exposure to the formal sector, to suppliers, and to the scale of automotive supply chain is one of the ways we can start closing the gap between potential and opportunity.”
Events like NAACAM Auto Shop give emerging mechanics more than exposure, they offer a real-world introduction to the standards and mindsets in a professional sector.
Shaping the Automotive Future
The automotive world is evolving – with electric vehicles, advanced diagnostics, and new technologies transforming the trade. Tomorrow’s mechanics will need digital skills as much as mechanical know-how.
To meet this future, the industry must focus not only on skills development but also on setting and enforcing standards. Improved regulation builds customer trust, improves safety, and brings greater consistency across the sector, lifting both formal and informal operators.
But real change doesn’t start in boardrooms. It starts in schools. In spaza workshops. In low-resourced areas where talent often goes unseen. By showing up with the right tools and the right intent, companies like AutoZone can help shape an automotive future that includes everyone and drives the country forward.
