It is tempting to look at the measured pace of fully electric vehicle adoption on South African roads and conclude that the automotive aftermarket still has time to adapt. That perspective is short-sighted and carries significant economic and operational risks for the sector.
The growing presence of traditional and plug-in hybrid vehicles demonstrates that the technological transition is already well underway. Within the next few years, thousands of these increasingly sophisticated vehicles will move beyond their original manufacturer warranty periods and into independent aftermarket workshops.
“The question is not whether electromobility is coming to the aftermarket – it is already here. The industry needs to make sure that its businesses and people are ready to work safely and competently on these vehicles when they arrive outside the dealer network,” says Pieter Niemand, National Director of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA) representing 2 700 independent workshops nationally and a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI).
South Africa’s automotive retail aftermarket is a fundamental pillar of the economy, supporting more than 270,000 jobs across approximately 23,000 employer businesses. The vast majority are small and medium-sized enterprises, spanning mechanical repair shops, vehicle dealerships, tyre centres, precision engineering businesses and remanufacturing operations.
If the aftermarket delays adapting its skills base, thousands of independent businesses face the prospect of losing customer trust, commercial relevance and ultimately sustainability as the national vehicle fleet evolves.
“For independent workshops, this is ultimately about remaining relevant and competitive. Customers will continue to need trusted businesses to maintain and repair their vehicles, but those businesses must have the skills to work on the technologies that are increasingly coming into the market,” Niemand says.
The shift towards electromobility also introduces new technical and safety considerations into everyday workshop environments. Technicians are increasingly encountering high-voltage electrical circuits, sophisticated battery packs and integrated software architectures.
High-voltage vehicle components can present serious electrical hazards if they are handled without the correct procedures, equipment and training. Modern technicians therefore need formal competence to identify risks, isolate electrical systems safely, navigate digital diagnostic platforms and complete complex repairs in line with internationally recognised safety standards.
“This is a significant change for the traditional workshop environment. Technicians cannot simply rely on the knowledge and experience that has served them well with conventional vehicles. They need to understand high-voltage systems, battery technology and electronic diagnostics, and they need to know how to work safely around them,” says Niemand.
The skills requirement extends beyond the workshop floor. Service advisors, parts salesmen and sales teams are an important link between technical staff and vehicle owners. Frontline employees need a sound understanding of hybrid and electric propulsion systems so they can guide motorists accurately, quote correctly for specialised repairs, order the appropriate parts and communicate important safety considerations.
To safeguard the workforce and raise industry standards, fragmented and informal learning needs to make way for nationally recognised qualifications. The RMI has partnered with merSETA and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) to establish three formal occupational skills programmes for new energy vehicles.
The structured qualification system follows a stepped approach. The first has a strong safety focus, and is aimed at helping workshop assistants develop the correct support practices around electric and hybrid vehicles. The remaining programmes are aimed at qualified technicians, with a stronger focus on maintenance, diagnostics and repair processes. This approach mirrors that already in place in Europe, where high-voltage training is treated as an ongoing process rather than a single intervention, and which is tailored according to an individual’s role, prior qualification and the type of work they are expected to perform. This ensures that there is a standardised training programme in place, setting a benchmark for workshops throughout the country, whilst also complying with international best practice.
International partnerships are also helping to strengthen South Africa’s training pipeline. Collaborations with organisations such as the German Chamber of Crafts Erfurt and GIZ enable local training to be benchmarked against more mature electromobility markets.
These initiatives incorporate the proven dual-system training philosophy, combining theoretical instruction with practical workplace experience. This approach provides young people entering the trade with portable qualifications while giving experienced mechanics a structured opportunity to upskill throughout their careers.
“We have an opportunity to learn from markets that are further along in the electromobility journey while developing skills that are relevant to South Africa. The combination of formal learning and practical workplace experience is particularly important in a technical industry such as ours,” says Niemand.
Preparing the aftermarket for electromobility will require proactive commitment from every stakeholder. Independent workshop owners and entrepreneurial mechanics need to embrace the opportunities presented by new vehicle technologies if small businesses are to continue thriving alongside larger dealer networks.
“The independent aftermarket has always adapted to changes in vehicle technology. Electromobility is another major step in that evolution, but it requires us to start preparing now rather than waiting until the vehicles are already in our workshops,” Niemand says.
MIWA is encouraging workshop owners, automotive technicians, business managers and other industry stakeholders to visit the organisation at Automechanika Johannesburg in October. The event will provide an opportunity to explore emerging training pathways, examine the latest diagnostic technologies and understand how accredited skills initiatives can help businesses future-proof their operations.
“Automechanika provides an ideal platform for the industry to engage with these developments. We want workshop owners and their teams to understand what is available to them and, importantly, to see that there are practical pathways to building the skills they will need for the future,” concludes Niemand.
