TÜV SÜD enters vehicle inspection market in South Africa

TÜV SÜD enters vehicle inspection market in South Africa

TÜV SÜD is entering the vehicle inspection market in South Africa and has acquired a shareholding in AVTS Roadworthy Stations. Dr Axel Stepken, CEO and President of TÜV SÜD AG, has now signed the contract with Ferose Oaten, Managing Director and founder of AVTS. TÜV SÜD has also founded a legal entity in South Africa, TUV SUD South Africa Holding. 

Strong partners in South Africa (from left): Dr. Axel Stepken, CEO TÜV SÜD AG, Ferose Oaten, Managing Director and Founder oft he AVTS, Viktor F. Metz, Managing Director TÜV SÜD Auto Service GmbH and Norman van Oudtshoorn, Managing Director TUV SUD South Africa.

"After our activities in important European countries such as Spain, France and Austria and the successful establishment of vehicle roadworthiness testing in Turkey, our market entry in South Africa marks another significant step in our strategy to expand a core service such as roadworthiness testing at international level", explains Dr.-Ing. Axel Stepken, CEO and President of TÜV SÜD AG. Stepken continues: "In AVTS we have found a strong partner for consistent growth in Africa's most interesting market."

The company operates seven vehicle inspection centres which carry out approx. 65,000 roadworthiness tests including re-tests per year in high-growth, relatively affluent Greater Cape Town, and holds a market share of around 20 per cent there. Over the next five years, TÜV SÜD and its South African partner plan to significantly expand their market share to 20 per cent nationwide: "The highly professional management by Ms Oaten and the excellent technological standard at its inspection stations make AVTS the ideal partner for TÜV SÜD", underlines Viktor F. Metz, CFO TÜV SÜD Auto Service GmbH.

AVTS was one of the first privately-owned companies to enter the South African vehicle testing market 17 years ago. It is a founding member of the National Vehicle Testing Association, which plays a leading role in the definition and establishment of additional accreditation requirements for vehicle testing and inspection. Ferose Oaten is convinced that the two partners will complement each other perfectly as both companies have an unwavering commitment to quality and testing integrity. While AVTS is the only group of testing and inspection stations in South Africa to hold ISO 9000 certification and is firmly established on the market, TÜV SÜD, as an internationally leading supplier of roadworthiness testing, will contribute knowledge and experience to the partnership.

TÜV SÜD's activities must also be seen against the backdrop of the impending reform of vehicle inspection in South Africa. While at present privately owned vehicles must only be inspected if they are sold, i.e. in the event of a change in ownership, the political sector has been debating the introduction of periodic roadworthiness testing. For the vehicle inspection market in South Africa, which is characterized by above-average growth, this reform offers extremely interesting future perspectives: After such a reform, the number of vehicles inspected annually – around 2.4 million at present – would roughly double within three to four years.

Parallel to acquiring a shareholding in AVTS, TÜV SÜD founded TÜV SÜD South Africa Holding. The purpose of the TÜV SÜD subsidiary, headquartered in Cape Town, is to launch and position all TÜV SÜD services in South Africa. Managing Director of TUV SUD South Africa Holding is Norman van Oudtshoorn.

Note for editorial staff: The photo can be downloaded in camera-ready resolution from the "Current Press Photos" category www.tuev-sued.de/pressefotos .

Contact: Frank Volk