David Furlonger

Creator

David Furlonger

David Furlonger has worked for publishers, news agencies, radio and TV broadcasters all over the world, and is now editor-at-large for Financial Mail and Business Day.

VW and the end of the ICE age

VW looks to African markets for growth amid European ICE bans and local policy headwinds

MBA: Is your business degree a milestone or a millstone?

An MBA alone offers no guarantee of career success

The MBA, rebooted

SA business schools are transforming MBA programmes

Picture: 123RF/beer5020

The harsh lessons of entrepreneurship

The lessons of business failure, and how education can nurture successful entrepreneurs

Picture: 123RF/STOCKSOLUTIONS

The legacy lingers on

Despite the rise of imported Chinese and Indian vehicles, traditional car brands in South Africa maintain a competitive edge. FNB and WesBank chief economist Thanda Sithole…

Toyota executives and government officials were in attendance at a special ceremony marking production of the ninth-generation Hilux.

Auto policy changes in 2027?

Overdue changes to South Africa’s faltering motor industry policy could still be many months away despite trade, industry & competition minister Parks Tau’s recent assertion that…

Auto policy action needed now, says Ford exec

South African industrial policy should distinguish between companies that invest in the country’s productive capacity and those that simply trade within the market, says Esther…

Chinese brand Chery plans to invest ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’ in its South African vehicle manufacturing operation. Picture: REUTERS

Cheery Chery plants roots

Chery has quickly become a major player in the local new vehicle market, and its shift from importer to manufacturer could, if followed by other Chinese companies, transform the…

Chery is officially opening its plant in Rosslyn, Tshwane — formerly owned by Nissan — on Friday July 3.

Part of the solution

Chinese motor companies’ growing investment in vehicle manufacture in South Africa should be accompanied by parallel investment in local automotive parts, says Naacam CEO Renai…

Socioeconomic impact should be the lodestar of African business education, and we should be teaching the rest of the world how it is done

Stretching time and space

The advantages of taking a prerecorded course include that you can study anywhere, anytime, and usually pay much less. But they can require more discipline than the conventional…

Business schools can help turn sustainability from a buzzword into meaningful corporate action, say researchers

Is there a real climate for change?

Sustainability. Climate change. Net zero. Green energy. Ecological balance. Social cohesion. Keeping the planet safe for future generations. Business leaders know all the…

Stellantis South Africa MD Mike Whitfield.

Stellantis holds its fire

Plans by multinational motor company Stellantis for a R3bn greenfield vehicle assembly plant in the Eastern Cape are likely to be delayed by another year as the group waits for…

New vehicle sales up, production down

New vehicle sales may be thriving, but local production is not. Figures released this week show that 61,071 cars and commercial vehicles were sold last month — a 12.8%…

Tata is banking its immediate future on 11 new trucks and buses, of which four are electric vehicles.

Tata’s African product blitz

Indian truck and bus manufacturer Tata Motors is launching a concerted product assault on South Africa and the wider Sub-Saharan Africa market.

Leslie Ramsoomar, MD of Salvador Caetano Auto South Africa and GAC Motor South Africa.

Africa key to GAC, JMC plans

Is South African manufacture on the eventual horizon for Chinese vehicle brands GAC and JMC? Multinational auto group Salvador Caetano Auto, which imports and distributes the…

Picture: ROBERT TSHABALALA

The rest of Africa gives auto industry some gas

Exports to the rest of Africa last year were a glimmer of hope for the local auto industry, which has been hard hit by Trump’s tariffs and faces the loss of sales to Europe and…

Picture: ALAN EASON

Auto sector still in credit

The value of South African automotive exports to the US plunged by 29% in 2025 as President Donald Trump’s punitive import-duty war took hold.

Who’s top dog?

Three South African business schools have been ranked among the top 100 in the world for their executive MBA (EMBA) programmes. The question is: which is the best in Africa?

Car sales in April 2026 outdid the corresponding 2025 month by 14.3% — 34,414 against 30,113, according to Naamsa.

On the up and up

The new vehicle market continues to exceed expectations. But for how much longer?

Kruger National Park.

Don’t be dirty in Kruger

As the northern parts of Kruger National Park recover from devastating floods, what awaits visitors planning to visit in the coming weeks?