Since the first South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition in 1986, members of the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) have either hand-picked or been elected by ballot to the jury of peers. This year’s selection process combines peer voting and hand-selected jurors by the COTY committee.
“Innovations in driver assist features, safety, and technology, as well as hybrid and electric vehicles, are being developed at such a rapid pace that consumers may become overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.” Our goal as mobility journalists has always been to inform and educate. “We want the best team possible to do the job of awarding a vehicle the title of the best car in South Africa,”
Mabuyane Mabuza, Chairperson of 2023 COTY and interim Vice-Chairperson of the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists, said.
Members of the SAGMJ elected 50% of the jurors who are members in good standing with the SAGMJ, have completed two years of Jury training (or in exceptional circumstances, a one-year trainee programme), and are industry-recognized journalists who participate in the industry by attending manufacturer launch events and/or driving media test vehicles during the eligibility period, using a dedicated voting platform. According to Garth Napier, MD of Old Mutual Insure, the jury’s collective experience has been the driving factor behind COTY’s reputation for raising automotive benchmarks and promoting a culture of excellence for more than three decades.
“In the automotive world, quality and innovation benefit our customers by allowing them to enjoy vehicles that are safer or have more advanced technology.” This aligns with our strategy of providing relevant and innovative insurance products and solutions that meet our customers’ changing needs,”
– Napier said.
“Congratulations to this year’s jury, whose demonstrated journalistic excellence will undoubtedly continue to raise the competition’s bar.”
Furthermore, 50% of trainee jurors were chosen via online voting. These trainees are also SAGMJ members in good standing who have attended or will attend special juror one-on-one training sessions, as well as industry-recognized journalists who participate in the industry by attending manufacturer launch events and/or driving media test vehicles during the eligibility period.
2023 SA Car of the Year jury panel is (in alphabetical order):
- Alan Rosenmeyer
- Bernard Hellberg Jr
- Brenwin Naidu
- Carl Wepener
- Colin Windell
- Damian Adams
- Dirk Gallowitz
- Fanelesibonge Bengu
- Ferdi de Vos
- Francisco Nwamba
- Ian McLaren
- Janine van der Post
- Jason Woosey
- Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger
- Juliet McGuire
- Justin Jacobs
- Kumbi Mtshakazi
- Lerato Matebese
- Mabuyane Mabuza
- Marnus Hattingh
- Melinda Ferguson
- Nafisa Akabor (Hybrid/EV specialist)
- Sean Nurse
- Sibonelo Myeni
- Sisanda Mbete
- Thamsanqa Masemola
- Ziphorah Masethe
- Reserve juror: Lawrence Smith
Trainee jurors (in alphabetical order):
- Azim Omar
- Gugu Masuku
- Jason Mayo
- Naresh Maharaj
- Riyad Jaffer
- Vann van Staden
The COTY committee, which included Mabuyane Mabuza (Chairperson), Lerato Matebese, Thami Masemola, Jason Woosey, and Brenwin Naidu, hand-selected the balance of the jury and trainee jury. They recruited several senior SAGMJ journalists and content creators to become more involved with COTY, many of whom had previously served as jurors.
“The COTY committee has recruited several respected journalists to serve on the jury.” This is one of the most powerful and diverse COTY juries ever assembled for the competition. “Now the real work begins,”
concluded Mabuza.