Over the past two months, one thing has become increasingly clear: our industry continues to operate under sustained pressure, but it is also showing strong resilience and adaptability.
The recent fuel increases have added a significant and immediate strain on many of our members. These are not marginal increases – they directly impact operational viability. Encouragingly, our recent engagements with insurers around fuel-related concessions signal a growing recognition that sustainability across the value chain requires collaboration and responsiveness.
At the same time, we are seeing a structural shift in the type of work entering our workshops. Repair volumes are tightening, while complexity continues to rise. Vehicles are more advanced, repairs more technical, and the margin for error smaller. This places increased pressure not only on operations, but also on skills, training and compliance.
This is why our ongoing engagement with stakeholders such as the Automotive Industry Development Centre is so important. Strengthening regional training pipelines and improving access to practical skills development will be critical in preparing our sector for the future.
Equally important is the role each of you plays in building a stronger SAMBRA community.
As we look ahead, our focus remains clear: advocating for fair operating conditions, strengthening skills development, and building a connected, resilient SAMBRA network.
Our SAMBRA Insider is an important tool for keeping you up to date and for hearing your voice. As you know we did a poll earlier in the year and you suggested some changes. Good call – we listened and we implemented. We are happy to share the launch of the new-look SAMBRA Insider has delivered measurable improvement in traffic and engagement.
Compared to the previous reporting period, page traffic increased by 286%, engaged sessions rose by 279%, and user interactions increased by 445%.
This supports the earlier member poll findings that members prefer scannable summaries with quick access to full articles, reinforcing the decision to evolve the Insider into a more streamlined, link-driven format
Thank you for your continued commitment to professionalism and excellence.
Juan Hanekom
National Director, SAMBRA
