SAMBRA has strengthened South Africa’s connection to the international collision repair industry following its official appointment to the Association Internationale des Réparateurs en Carrosserie (AIRC), the international federation representing national organisations in the vehicle and body repair sector.
The membership gives South Africa a stronger voice within an international network of repair associations and creates opportunities for knowledge sharing, international benchmarking and collaboration on issues affecting the future of collision repair.
Established in 1970, AIRC’s member organisations collectively represent more than 50,000 vehicle repair and vehicle-building businesses internationally. Its focus includes professional repair, international cooperation and developments shaping the future of the industry.
For SAMBRA, joining AIRC comes at an important time. Collision repair is becoming increasingly technology-driven, with developments in vehicle technology, advanced materials, electronics, repair information, EVs, skills, standards, sustainability and insurer and OEM requirements increasingly influencing repairers across markets.
“The collision repair industry does not operate in isolation anymore. What happens in one market can quickly influence another. Being part of AIRC gives South Africa a seat at a much broader industry table. It allows us to learn from international developments while also contributing the South African experience and perspective,” says Juan Hanekom, National Director, SAMBRA
SAMBRA’s recent participation in the AIRC international conference, as part of its broader European and UK industry benchmarking programme, reinforced the value of this international connection.
Many of the challenges facing South African repairers are shared internationally, including skills shortages, increasingly complex vehicles, changing insurer and OEM requirements, sustainability, technology and automation, EV repair capability, repair standards and access to technical repair information. “One of the most valuable insights from our international engagements is that many of the challenges facing South African repairers are not unique to our market. Repairers internationally are grappling with many of the same pressures. While some markets may be further ahead in certain areas, the capability gap is not necessarily as wide as we sometimes assume.”
Bringing international insight home
AIRC membership will enable SAMBRA to continue benchmarking South Africa against international repair markets and identifying emerging trends and challenges that could affect local repairers.
It will also strengthen SAMBRA’s ability to monitor developments in areas such as EV repair, sustainability, end-of-life vehicles, repair information, training, technology and professional repair standards – and to translate relevant international developments into practical value for members.
“For SAMBRA, this is about bringing relevant international insight home and turning it into practical value for the South African industry. As collision repair becomes increasingly technology-driven, staying connected to international developments will help us prepare for change rather than respond to it after the fact.”
Through its AIRC membership, SAMBRA will strengthen relationships with international counterpart associations, broaden access to industry knowledge and ensure that South Africa remains part of the conversations shaping the future of collision repair.
