With an ageing vehicle parc, increasingly sophisticated vehicle technology and an estimated annual road-crash cost of R205 billion, the condition of the vehicles using South Africa\u2019s roads is not simply an automotive issue. It is a road-safety and economic issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As South Africa observes Transport Month this October, the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) believes greater attention must be given to how vehicles are maintained, repaired, assessed and ultimately returned to the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMillions of South Africans rely on vehicles every day to get to work, school, medical appointments and businesses. Whether travelling by taxi, bus, truck or private vehicle, every road user should be able to trust that the vehicle they are travelling in is safe and fit for purpose,\u201d says Ipeleng Mabusela, CEO of the RMI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor the automotive aftermarket, this creates both a responsibility and an opportunity. Every vehicle that enters a workshop, testing station or body repair facility presents an opportunity to identify potential problems, apply the right standards and ensure that it is maintained, repaired and returned to the road safely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Africa\u2019s vehicle parc is ageing, with the average vehicle estimated to be approximately 10.8 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As vehicles get older, regular maintenance, appropriate repairs and proper assessment become increasingly important in keeping them safe and fit for purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need to take a vehicle-first approach to road safety,\u201d says Mabusela. \u201cThe condition of the vehicle has to be part of the conversation. Regular assessment can help identify safety-related defects before they become a danger on our roads.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The RMI has consistently advocated for the introduction of Periodic Vehicle Testing (PVT) as an additional intervention to improve road safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A structured system of regular vehicle assessment would provide an important layer of protection for motorists, passengers and other road users, while creating a mechanism to identify safety-critical defects before they become more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PVT is not, however, a solution in isolation. Assessment needs to be supported by competent technicians, professional standards, quality repairs and informed vehicle owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The vehicles being maintained on South Africa\u2019s roads are also changing. Modern vehicles increasingly incorporate advanced driver assistance systems, sophisticated electronic control systems and electric and alternative powertrains, transforming the skills required to diagnose, maintain and repair them safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles become more common, the skills, equipment and safety practices required to inspect, maintain and repair these vehicles will also evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The RMI is participating in the development of nationally recognised electro-mobility skills pathways, helping ensure that the industry is equipped to work safely and competently as vehicle technology changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou cannot have safe vehicles without skilled people maintaining and repairing them,\u201d says Mabusela. \u201cSkills development, professional standards and compliance are therefore not separate from road safety \u2013 they are fundamental to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The RMI and its seven associations continue to support skills development and professionalisation across the automotive aftermarket, while promoting standards and compliance that give consumers greater confidence when entrusting their vehicles to an automotive business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the aftermarket, this means preparing technicians and businesses for the vehicles of today and tomorrow, while ensuring that the fundamentals of quality workmanship, safety and accountability remain firmly in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For motorists, confidence in the people and businesses maintaining their vehicles is an important part of road safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They need assurance that when they take their vehicle to a professional workshop, the work will be carried out correctly; that technicians have the appropriate skills; that businesses operate according to recognised standards; and that the industry takes its responsibility for road safety seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where the automotive aftermarket has an important role to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every service, inspection, repair and body repair is an opportunity to identify potential safety issues, apply appropriate standards and help ensure that a vehicle is returned to the road in a condition that protects its occupants and other road users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTrust is built through what happens at every point in the vehicle\u2019s life,\u201d says Mabusela. \u201cIt is about the quality of the repair, the skills of the person carrying it out, the standards applied and the confidence that the vehicle is being maintained responsibly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Transport Month also provides an opportunity for the broader transport and automotive sectors to look beyond individual interventions and consider how the different elements of the road-safety system can work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor an industry undergoing such rapid technological change, collaboration is increasingly important,\u201d says Mabusela. \u201cWe need to share knowledge, challenge assumptions and find practical solutions that work for the industry and, ultimately, for the people who depend on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Improving road safety requires a combination of factors: responsible road users, effective enforcement, appropriate infrastructure, properly maintained vehicles and the skills and standards needed to keep those vehicles safe throughout their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the RMI, putting greater focus on vehicle condition is an important part of that broader conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTransport Month reminds us that every vehicle carries more than a driver,\u201d says Mabusela. \u201cIt carries families, employees, customers and communities. The quality of the work performed on that vehicle can therefore have consequences far beyond the workshop floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs an industry, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to make every journey safer. The conversations taking place during Transport Month are important, but the real measure will be what we do with those conversations afterwards,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/RMI-Article-Image-1600x900-1-1024x576.jpg\")
An ageing vehicle parc needs greater attention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Skills are central to vehicle safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Building trust through professional standards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Collaboration is essential<\/h2>\n\n\n\n