Hyundai Automotive SA’s boss says he’s “not a fan of multi-franchise” dealers, suggesting that “4 or 5 brands” in one dealership results in a loss of focus…
- Hyundai’s local CEO says multi-franchise dealers “lose focus”
- “I refuse that they multi-franchise [Hyundai] with the Chinese”
- Says Motus-owned dealer network “promotes from within”
The head of Hyundai in South Africa says he’s “not a fan of multi-franchise” dealers, suggesting that squeezing “4 or 5 brands” into a single dealership results in a loss of focus.
Stanley Anderson, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa, was speaking during an interview conducted in Cars.co.za’s custom-built podcast booth at Naamsa’s South African Auto Week 2025 in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape at the start of October.
“If you look at all these new brands that have come in, they’re all multi-franchise. Especially the independent groups – they’ll put 4 or 5 brands in one building [with] one workshop. I’m not a fan of multi-franchise because you lose focus,” he told us.
“You sell what’s flavour of the month and whoever that manager is, he’s got 4 or 5 brands to keep happy – he’s always in meetings; he’s always away. Whereas 99% of our 43 dealers – and that’s close to 70% of our volume – [are] standalone Hyundai,” said Anderson, adding that way there are “no distractions”.
Motus Holdings – which imports and distributes the Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Mitsubishi and Tata (the latter restricted to passenger vehicles) brands in South Africa – said in its latest integrated report that 70% to 75% of its new-vehicles sales volumes were generated through Motus-owned dealerships, with the remainder sold via independent dealerships.
That said, in the retail-operations (as opposed to import and distribution) part of its business, Motus recently increased its Chinese-brand representation, now representing 9 marques from the East Asian country: BAIC, Chery, GWM, Haval, Jetour, Jaecoo, MG, LDV and Omoda.
Anderson emphasised that if an independent dealership group already authorised to sell Hyundai models approached him with a proposal to put a Chinese brand in the same showroom, he would flat-out refuse.
“I refuse that they [independent dealer groups] multi-franchise [Hyundai] with the Chinese – you must choose. If you come to me and say you want to put Jetour in [with a Hyundai dealer], I’ll say ‘well, then choose – either Hyundai or Jetour’. I refuse. Other brands are allowing it, unfortunately, but I just refuse.”
Anderson – who was promoted into the local CEO role in July 2025 after almost 25 years with Hyundai Automotive South Africa – added that his dealers further defined themselves by their “activity-driven culture”.
“We have a very good performance culture in our dealer network. We also promote from within. We’ve seen if you take a dealer principal from Toyota or Volkswagen into Hyundai, it just doesn’t work,” he concluded.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the CEO of Hyundai Automotive SA’s stance on multi-franchise dealerships?
A: Stanley Anderson, the CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa, stated he is “not a fan” of multi-franchise dealers, suggesting that having “4 or 5 brands” in one location results in a loss of focus and distracts from their primary business. He notes that 99% of Hyundai’s 43 dealers are standalone.
Q: Does Hyundai Automotive SA allow its independent dealers to co-franchise with Chinese automotive brands?
A: Anderson explicitly stated, “I refuse that they multi-franchise [Hyundai] with the Chinese – you must choose”. He requires independent groups to select either Hyundai or the Chinese brand if they approach him with such a proposal.
Q: What approach does Hyundai Automotive SA take regarding its dealer network’s staffing and culture?
A: Anderson said that their dealer network operates with an “activity-driven culture” and a policy to “promote from within”. He added that taking a dealer principal from a competitor like Toyota or Volkswagen “just doesn’t work” within the Hyundai network.
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