Meet the South African Car of the Year (COTY) Juror, Melinda Ferguson

BY Aurelia Mbokazi-Kashe

On Monday and Tuesday this week, motoring journalists of the prestigious South African Guild for Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ, popularly known as the Guild) will gather to test-drive and evaluate the 18 finalists across 8 categories. These are men and women who are specialists in their field and members of the Guild. They have gone through a stringent selection process that includes a two-year trainee programme before they are eligible to be placed on the juror voting roll.

This is a rigorous and diverse evaluation that puts all the finalists to their paces to determine category winners and the overall South African Car Of The Year (COTY) 2024. It will culminate in announcing the competition winners at a gala dinner in May.

From this week, up to the announcement in May, we introduce you to some of the jurors responsible for the honour of deciding which car is the fairest of them all and worthy of the title of South Africa’s COTY.

Melinda Ferguson, author, publisher, and owner of Melinda Ferguson Books, an imprint of NB Publishers. Melinda’s motoring reviews are published in the Daily Maverick and she has a weekend slot on Cape Talk Radio alongside Sara-Jayne Makwala King.

What was the very first car you drove and please describe the feeling?

I was terrified of driving and ended up buying my first car, an old Honda Ballade with those shuttered eyes before I could even drive. So I practiced going backward and forwards in a parking lot for ages before I took my first driving lesson but got my licence first shot.

How did you become a motoring journalist and when did your career begin?

In 2009 I was invited to the Tokyo Motor Show when I was the features editor of a popular women’s magazine. In all honesty, I did not know a lot about cars and was more interested in Japanese fashion back then. But at the show, I was thrown into the world of concept cars and saw the most unbelievable vehicles. I even met the then head of Nissan Renault, Carlos Ghosn, and was given a signed copy of his book, Shift. I read the book on the plane back home and got it. I came back to SA completely smitten with cars and promptly crowned myself the Motoring Editor of the magazine and watched a whole lot of Top Gear!

Was it easy to break through? What were the major challenges for you?

For me, it was relatively easy. Luck and chutzpah were on my side. It was far harder of course to be taken seriously as a motoring journo which took much longer especially because it is such a boy’s club.

What was the very first motoring launch you attended and what stood out about it?

My first launch was a BMW Z3 launch. I was damn nervous. What stood out for me was Stuart Johnson took me under his wing and drove all the way!

What was your most embarrassing moment as a motoring journalist?

Well, it has to be writing off a R3.2 million Ferrari California which made the front page of the Sunday Times. It was an accident that followed me for years. In fact, people are still talking about it.

Describe your journey to becoming a COTY jury member. What unique qualities do you bring to COTY?

I have been a juror for about 5 years. I have learned so much about the stand-out things to look for in a car along the way. I take it really seriously and it’s a wonderful opportunity to pay respect to some of the finest cars out there. I am excited that COTY is in the best space that it’s been in years and Mabs has a lot to do with that.

What do you look for in the Car of The Year, and name two favourite finalists that have what it takes to become this year winner?

I always look for unique qualities when I am judging, like exceptional fuel returns, excellent tech, and of course what makes it special as a drive. My personal favourites this year are the Honda Type R and the Ford Raptor. They are both in the performance category but are really different so it’s going to be hard to judge them against each other.

The Raptor is just such a beast on the road and off and then the Type R is sublime on track but it’s also a really comfy on-road car. I also find both of them excellent in the design department.