The South African automotive industry came together at the Cars.co.za DealerCon 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre, bringing together more than 1,500 automotive leaders, dealer principals, OEM executives, finance specialists, marketers and industry stakeholders for a day focused on the rapidly changing vehicle retail landscape.
Held under the theme “Mind Over Metal: Mindsets That Move Markets,” DealerCon 2026 explored how changing consumer behaviour, affordability, technology, digital platforms and evolving vehicle choices are reshaping the relationship between dealerships and South African motorists.
A key partner in the 2026 edition was Absa, which participated as a premium sponsor and brought its expertise in vehicle finance and mobility to the industry conversation. Charl Potgieter, Managing Executive: Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance, delivered a keynote addressing trends influencing vehicle finance and the wider mobility landscape.
ABSA AND THE CHANGING VEHICLE FINANCE LANDSCAPE
The partnership between Cars.co.za and Absa comes at a time when affordability is increasingly influencing how South Africans approach vehicle ownership.
The newly released Cars.co.za Industry Report 2026, incorporating Cars.co.za consumer and lead data, a survey of more than 2,000 vehicle shoppers, TransUnion affordability insights and Absa analysis of 2.56 million finance applications, highlighted the changing dynamics facing the automotive sector.
The report indicates that affordability is playing a growing role in purchasing decisions, while consumers are also paying closer attention to fuel efficiency, ownership costs and the overall value proposition of a vehicle.
For dealers, this means that the customer journey cannot simply end with the vehicle displayed on the showroom floor. Finance, insurance, after-sales support, digital research and customer experience are increasingly interconnected.
Draft statement – Henry:
“DealerCon is an important platform because it gives the industry an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day dealership environment and look at the bigger picture. The automotive customer is changing, and the industry has to change with them. Through collaboration between dealers, manufacturers, finance partners and technology platforms, we can create a retail environment that is more transparent, more responsive and ultimately better connected to what customers need.”
NICOLE CAPPER AUSTIN: CONNECTING BRANDS WITH THE MODERN AUTOMOTIVE CUSTOMER
For Nicole Capper Austin, Chief Marketing Officer at Cars.co.za, DealerCon 2026 represented an important opportunity to examine the role of marketing in a rapidly changing automotive environment.
Capper Austin joined the Cars.co.za leadership team as CMO in 2026 after previously working in growth and partnerships, bringing a strong focus on consumer behaviour, relevance, trust and modern brand engagement.
At DealerCon, she participated in conversations around the dealership marketing mix and how businesses can better connect marketing, sales, finance and dealership operations.
One of the central messages emerging from the discussions was that generating leads is only one part of the customer journey. Converting those opportunities requires alignment between marketing teams, sales teams, finance providers and the people working directly with customers on dealership floors.
Nicole Capper Austin said:
“The automotive customer journey has become much more complex. Consumers are discovering vehicles differently, researching more deeply and arriving at dealerships with more information than ever before. For dealers, the opportunity is to connect the dots between marketing, sales, finance and the customer experience, so that every interaction builds confidence and moves the customer closer to a decision.”
“MIND OVER METAL” PUTS PEOPLE AT THE CENTRE
The “Mind Over Metal” theme reflected the central question behind this year’s DealerCon: what happens when the automotive industry stops focusing only on the vehicle and starts focusing more deeply on the person buying it?
Discussions throughout the event examined issues including the used-car market, affordability, brand value, dealership marketing and the growing influence of technology.
The industry is also navigating significant changes in consumer vehicle preferences. The Cars.co.za Industry Report found that price was the most important consideration for 70.8% of surveyed consumers, followed by fuel efficiency at 52.5%.
Meanwhile, Chinese automotive brands are becoming an increasingly important part of South Africa’s vehicle market. According to the report, Chinese vehicle sales increased by 72% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 3% growth for traditional manufacturers.
These developments are forcing dealers to reconsider how they communicate value and build relationships with consumers.
FROM DIGITAL DISCOVERY TO THE DEALERSHIP FLOOR
Another major theme was the changing path consumers take before purchasing a vehicle.
Social media is increasingly influencing vehicle discovery, while test drives and independent reviews remain important once consumers have narrowed down their choices. This means that dealerships have to remain visible and credible across multiple touchpoints rather than relying exclusively on traditional showroom traffic.
For Cars.co.za, the conversation reinforces the importance of connecting digital automotive discovery with the real-world dealership experience.
The platform’s role sits at the intersection of consumers, dealers, manufacturers and finance providers — making data and customer behaviour central to understanding where the automotive industry is heading.
ABSA’S ROLE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE ECOSYSTEM
Absa’s involvement also highlighted the increasingly important relationship between vehicle finance and the customer experience.
As affordability pressures influence purchasing decisions, finance providers have an important role to play in helping consumers understand the total cost of ownership and the financial implications of vehicle purchases.
Absa’s involvement at DealerCon follows its broader engagement with the changing South African mobility market, including partnerships designed to support new-energy vehicle adoption and dealer networks.
CELEBRATING AUTOMOTIVE LEADERSHIP
DealerCon 2026 was not only about looking forward. The event also recognised individuals who have made lasting contributions to South Africa’s automotive retail industry.
The Cars.co.za Lifetime Achievement Awards honoured Riaan Botman, Clive Blechman and Brad Kaftel, with the recipients also taking part in a Wisdom Panel focused on leadership lessons and the future of automotive retail.
A NEW CHAPTER FOR SOUTH AFRICAN AUTO RETAIL
DealerCon 2026 demonstrated that the future of South Africa’s automotive retail industry will be shaped by much more than the vehicles themselves.
Affordability, digital behaviour, finance, data, new-energy vehicles, changing brand preferences and customer trust are increasingly interconnected.
With Cars.co.za bringing together the retail ecosystem and partners such as Absa contributing financial and mobility expertise, DealerCon provided a platform for the industry to examine these shifts collectively.
Ultimately, “Mind Over Metal” captured the changing reality of automotive retail: understanding the vehicle remains important, but understanding the person behind the purchase is becoming just as critical.
DealerCon 2026 was presented by Cars.co.za and supported by industry partners including Absa, naamsa, TransUnion and NADA South Africa.
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