PRETORIA – Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (Manufacturing) Pty Ltd (“Ford South Africa”) showcased the strength and longevity of its dealer and distributor network across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) at the Ford Recognition Awards for 2025, highlighting both top performance and multi-generational partnership.
Held in Johannesburg, the annual event spotlighted excellence across sales, aftersales, Ford Credit, Ford Protect, customer experience and operational standards. More than an awards ceremony, the evening reflected Ford’s long-standing commitment to people, partnership and sustained contribution to the communities it serves.
Neale Hill, President of Ford Motor Company, Africa, reinforced the importance of long-term commitment in his address to the network.
“Strong businesses support society. We believe in doing this generationally, not transactionally. Longevity is what we believe in – for over 100 years in South Africa. Tonight, we celebrate not only performance, but partnership, resilience and the shared commitment that continues to strengthen Ford’s presence across this region.”
Hill commended the network for navigating a challenging economic environment while maintaining high standards of customer experience and operational discipline.
“This event is about more than awards. It’s about acknowledging the hard work, dedication and commitment that our dealer network and their teams demonstrate every single day. Their resilience and drive for excellence continue to set new benchmarks for the Ford brand.”
Contribution Awards Recognise Leadership and Legacy
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Ford Contribution Awards, recognising individuals whose leadership and long-standing commitment have left a meaningful impact on Ford’s journey in Southern Africa and beyond.
This year’s recipients were:
- Colin Lazarus, Lazarus Ford, South Africa
- John Landey, Eagle Motor City, South Africa
- Robert Hudson, Salvador Caetano, Angola
These awards honour not only commercial success, but the broader contribution these leaders have made to strengthening customer trust, building community relationships, and sustaining Ford’s legacy across generations.
Celebrating Generations: Long Service Awards
The 2025 Recognition Awards also spotlighted extraordinary long service milestones within the dealer network, reinforcing Ford’s deep-rooted presence in South and sub-Sahara Africa.
50-Year Anniversary Award Recipients
- Basil Green Auto
- Casseys Auto Springs
75-Year Anniversary Award Recipient
- Hi Auto, Escourt, KZN
100-Year Anniversary Award Recipient
- McGee and Company, Lydenburg
These milestones reflect decades of continued ownership, family stewardship, and sustained commitment to Ford customers.
In addition, several dealerships across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa were recognised for 25 years of partnership, demonstrating the strength and depth of Ford’s regional footprint.
SSA Sales Distributor of the Year Awards
Recognising outstanding distributor performance across sales, aftersales, Ford Protect and customer excellence in Sub-Saharan and North Africa:
Group B Winner:
Kennedy Kabaghe, CFAO Mobility, Malawi
Group A Winner:
Antony Haji, CMC Automobiles Ltd, Tanzania
South African Dealer of the Year 2025 Winners
Category D
Winner: Johan Barnard, B & R Motors
Category C
Winner: Marthinus Linde, Action Ford Mokopane
Category B
Winner: Pierre Beukes, Human Auto Welkom
Category A
Winner: Des Williams, Human Auto Bloemfontein
National and Group Awards
National Dealer of the Year 2025:
Des Williams, Human Auto Bloemfontein
Group Dealer of the Year 2025:
Pine Pienaar, Human Auto Group
As Ford South Africa looks ahead, the achievements recognised at the 2025 Awards reaffirm the company’s commitment to building strong, enduring partnerships across South Africa and the broader Sub-Saharan region.
Through generational dealer relationships, visionary leadership and an unwavering focus on customer experience, Ford continues to strengthen its legacy in one of its most important global markets.
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In 2015, Ran Neu-Ner and Gil Oved sold their business, The Creative Counsel for an estimated R1 billion. The Creative Counsel is the largest advertising agency in South Africa employing more than a thousand permanent staff and tens of thousands of temporary staff every year. The Creative Counsel launched an incubator to support transformation within the industry. Start-ups in media, marketing, digital and mobile industries will receive support and mentorship from the agency\’s management team. In 2017, Ran Neu-Ner pledged R50 million to assist young entrepreneurs develop and grow their businesses. Gil Oved went on to become one of the \”dragons\’ on the South African edition of Dragons\’ Den, as well as one of the \”sharks\’ on M-Net\’s Shark Tank. In 2016, Both entrepreneurs won the EY Southern Africa World Entrepreneur Award for 2016 in the Exceptional category.