Following the announcement of the 2023/24 #CarsAwards winners, Cars.co.za rocked Sandton City with a 3-day Consumer Awards Roadshow that brought the 39 finalists directly to the South African public with Absa facilitating finance and insurance solutions on the spot!
The 7th iteration of the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards sponsored by Absa and endorsed by Naamsa (The Automotive Business Council) was a resounding success!
The glitzy gala event took place on the Sandton City rooftop on Thursday, 29 February 2024 where industry leaders, OEM’s, dealer partners and media representatives enjoyed the #CarsAwards category winner announcements hosted by South African comedian, Nik Rabinowitz and Radio and TV personality, Khutso Theledi.
See the 2023 / 2024 #CarsAwards winners here!
The 39 finalists were put through their paces at the Gerotek Testing Facility in Pretoria Gauteng in November 2023 by no less than 20 judges. The judges’ scores account for 50% of the final result, with the remaining 50% derived from consumer survey data compiled by Lightstone.
Consumer Awards Roadshow with Absa brings SA’s best cars to the people
For the entire weekend from 1-3 March 2024, and for the first time in the history of #CarsAwards, Cars.co.za together with Absa, painted Sandton City red with an industry-first Consumer Awards Roadshow that saw all 39 finalists on display, allowing consumers to engage with the best cars in South Africa. Cars.co.za also hosted a similar event at the Mall of Africa late in 2023.
In partnership with Absa, South Africa’s leading Financial Services Provider (FSP), consumers requiring car finance and car insurance were assisted quickly and efficiently on the spot, providing an instantaneous car purchasing solution.
But that’s not all, the public also had the unique opportunity to gain buying advice directly from #CarsAwards judges including Ciro De Siena, Jacob Moshokoa, Juliet McGuire, David Taylor, Gero Lilleike, Muzi Sambo, Kumbi Mtshakazi, MrHowMuch, Rebaneilwe Semakane and Mpho Mahlangu.
Hannes Oosthuizen, Consumer Experience Manager at Cars.co.za, commented, “Following the successful Mall of Africa activation last year, we were confident that a more focused approach to the Sandton City Consumer Roadshow, in partnership with Absa, would allow us to bring consumers even closer to the point of buying.”
“It was interesting to observe consumer behaviour, with hundreds of consumers jumping from one car to the next, seriously considering their next purchase. I think the opportunity to directly compare rival vehicles right there-and-then was key to the appeal, and with Absa there to answer any finance-related questions, consumers walked away fully armed with all the information they needed to make a decision”, said Oosthuizen.
Visitors to the Consumer Roadshow were also encouraged to register for Absa’s competition which will see one lucky person win R500 000 towards any car of their choice! The winner will feature in a Cars.co.za YouTube video with Ciro De Siena assisting with making the car purchasing decision at one of our dealer partners. The competition winner will be announced in March 2024.
It was a busy weekend and shoppers enjoyed seeing and touching the cars on display.
Cars.co.za Journalist and #CarsAwards judge, Gero Lilleike, had this to say, “Sandton City was buzzing! Where else in South Africa can you examine 39 of the best cars on sale all in one place? For anyone looking to buy a car, the Consumer Roadshow was a fantastic opportunity for buyers to get professional car-buying advice and finance on-the-go.”
“Cars.co.za has positioned itself as a consumer champion and with Absa, our judges and test team present to offer advice, the Consumer Roadshow was a one-stop solution for anyone interested in purchasing a car and it was amazing to see the public making the most of this unique opportunity”
Click here for more information on the 2023 / 2024 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards
