The global automotive industry, of which South Africa is an integral part as a manufacturing and distribution base, is going through a challenging period due to the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and as it wrestles with the biggest technological changes in history. The industry was already facing a persistent decline in new vehicle sales in the country pre COVID-19 and was engaging with its social partners to find innovative solutions to stimulate demand for new vehicles in the country.
In the light of all these developments, it is ideal timing for a top-level virtual conference that will consider many of these challenges facing automotive manufacturing, logistics, retailing and aftermarket services.
Hypermobility, organised by Messe Frankfurt South Africa in conjunction with naamsa and powered by SA’s leading motoring marketplace, AutoTrader, will be a fully virtual engagement session from 08h00 to 17h00 on Wednesday November 18, 2020. The theme is “Navigating the turbulence together towards mobility 4.0”, which will be tackled by unpacking the impact of the current operating environment on the motor industry.
The virtual format will be a plenary session of three keynote addresses and three panel discussions in the morning, followed by a series of focused workshop sessions in the afternoon.
The opening keynote address, by Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), will consider the vital roles that governments need to play in terms of stabilising, stimulating, and protecting the African automotive sector.
Expansion of the vehicle and component manufacturing capability across the African continent, with the potential benefits of the African Free Trade agreement, will be discussed and debated by a team of experts on these subjects, hosted by Dr Martyn Davies, Managing Director: Emerging Markets and Africa at Deloitte.
The second panel discussion, to be hosted by Leo Kok of Panthera Media, will look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on future mobility solutions in an environment where the industry is confronted by a virus crisis that has caused huge economic fallout. The panel will also come up with their views on how they expect the automotive industry will respond and whether or not the situation will disrupt the drive in South Africa towards autonomous, connected, electric and shared mobility.
The final panel discussion in the morning session, to be hosted by Gary Scott, the CEO of Kia Motors South Africa, will look at the complex subject of mobility transformation. It will consider how shifts in consumer expectation and mobility needs to be transformed and how automotive retailing and motor dealerships will be impacted in the future.
Pricing (excluding VAT):
Early Bird: R425 per person (before 30 October).
Group discount: R350 per person (group of five or more delegates).
Standard booking: R500 per person (after 30 October).
Bookings:
HyperMobility Conference at https://hypermobility.co.za/
