NAAMSA SA Auto Week continues to serve as a pivotal platform for South Africa’s automotive industry, uniting leading minds, cutting-edge innovations, and future-focused dialogue. The event celebrates excellence while fostering collaboration, transformation, and sustainable mobility. Daimler Truck Southern Africa’s (DTSA) active participation this year reflects its commitment to driving progress and contributing meaningfully to the growth of the commercial vehicle sector, an industry that fuels South Africa’s economy by enabling the movement of goods and services, supporting key sectors, creating jobs, and facilitating regional trade and connectivity.
This year’s event marked 90 years of NAAMSA’s leadership and service in the automotive industry and was hosted at the Coega Vulindlela Accommodation and Conference Centre in Gqeberha, the birthplace of NAAMSA. DTSA proudly took part in panel discussions and showcased the “Travelling Classroom”, a collaborative initiative with the DGB (Pty) Ltd Charitable Trust. In late 2024, DTSA donated a Mercedes-Benz Actros to support this initiative. The fully equipped 15-meter mobile classroom delivers essential educational resources to over 5,000 underprivileged children, serving as a beacon of hope for young learners in the Western Cape region.
Industry Leadership and Insight
DTSA President and Group CEO, Maretha Gerber, represented the company during the MHCV panel discussion, moderated by renowned commercial vehicle journalist Patrick O’Leary. Reflecting on the discussion, Gerber shared: “It was a privilege to be part of the MHCV panel at NAAMSA SA Auto Week. The most urgent conversation we had was around sustainable mobility, it’s no longer optional, it’s imperative. As an industry, we are ready to innovate and invest in cleaner, more efficient truck solutions. But to truly move forward, we need enabling policies and regulatory support. With the right government collaboration, we can unlock the potential for greener logistics, improved air quality, and a more competitive transport sector.”
Accelerator Awards evening: a night of recognition
The 2025 NAAMSA SA Auto Week concluded on 3 October with the prestigious NAAMSA Accelerator Awards Evening, where Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) was honoured across two categories for its continued excellence and industry leadership including, the Mercedes- Benz Actros being named Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicle of the Year for the third consecutive year and the B-BBEE Certificate Performance Award for achieving Level 1 MHCV B-BBEE status.
"We feel truly honoured to have received two awards at the 2025 NAAMSA Accelerator Awards evening. These awards are more than recognition; it is a reminder of why we do what we do. In an industry that is constantly evolving, staying true to our values while embracing change is no small feat. Therefore, we celebrate not just the win, but the journey, the people, and the purpose that got us here. Encouraged by this recognition we continue our journey with purpose and care," concluded Maretha Gerber, President and Group CEO of DTSA.