Opel has been in the South African market since the 1930s and the German brand intends to grow its market presence in the country.
As part of its intended growth in SA, the company will launch the new Opel Crossland X in the second half of 2017 and the Opel Grandland X in 2018.
When General Motors (GM) recently announced that it would be exiting the country and taking Chevrolet with it, it was not yet clear how this decision will affect the Opel brand – as the PSA Goup is in the process of buying the German brand from the GM group.
At the time GM SA’s statement said, “GM continues to work with PSA to evaluate future opportunity for the Opel brand in South Africa. Importantly, existing Chevrolet and Opel customers will continue to be supported in the market.”
It’s now clear that Opel have appointed the Williams Hunt group as the dedicated distributor to distribute and sell the Opel brand in South Africa, from January 2018.
The current Opel lineup in South Africa includes the ADAM, Corsa, Astra and Mokka and will soon include the Crossland X and Grandland X.
In a statement, the company says that, “Opel customers can expect a continued focus on strengthening the portfolio with new and exciting German-engineered vehicles that meet and exceed expectations.”
“Opel has had great success in South Africa,” said Bill Mott, Director of International Sales Operations. He added: “We view South Africa as an important market. We are confident that the brand will continue to grow from strength to strength globally, and here in South Africa, because of the solid foundation that has been built in the 80-plus years Opel has been here.”
Over the past two years, Opel sales in South Africa have grown 9.6 percent, compared to an overall market decline of 15.5 percent.
“Opel customers can expect the same quality of aftersales support and no changes to existing warranties,” Bill Mott added. “We will ensure that our customers receive outstanding sales and aftersales support as we continue to further grow in the South African market.”