Motoring Mavericks Campaign Aims to Open New Career Paths for Youth in Car Dealerships

Motoring Mavericks Campaign Aims to Open New Career Paths for Youth in Car Dealerships. The National Automobile Dealers’ Association has introduced a new campaign, Motoring Mavericks, designed to highlight career opportunities for young South Africans within modern car dealerships.

The initiative focuses on shifting perceptions about the automotive retail sector. Traditionally associated with vehicle sales and mechanical work, dealerships are now being positioned as dynamic environments that offer a wide range of professional roles.

According to Ashley Samuel, director at the association, dealerships have evolved into fast paced, technology driven businesses. He noted that career paths now extend into areas such as marketing, finance, digital systems, customer experience, business management and technical specialisations.

Samuel explained that these environments allow young professionals to build skills and grow within structured career paths. He also pointed out that many senior figures in the industry began in entry level roles and progressed over time, reflecting the sector’s potential for long term development.

Motoring Mavericks places a strong emphasis on storytelling. The campaign features real life accounts from young professionals working in different roles across the dealership ecosystem. These include finance and insurance specialists, dealer principals, sales executives, marketing professionals and service technicians.

Through a series of short videos and interviews, participants share how they entered the industry and how their careers have developed. The aim is to provide practical insights into the pathways available within the sector, as well as the skills required to succeed.

The campaign is being distributed across major digital platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. This multi platform approach is intended to reach a broad youth audience and engage them in spaces where they already consume content.

Industry data supports the relevance of the initiative. Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council reported that South Africa’s dealership network facilitated the majority of the 596,818 new vehicles sold in 2025. This highlights the scale and importance of dealerships within the automotive value chain.

As the sector continues to evolve alongside technological advancements, the range of roles within dealerships is also expanding. Digital systems, customer engagement tools and financial services are becoming increasingly central to operations.

The Motoring Mavericks campaign aims to align with these changes by showcasing the variety of opportunities available. By focusing on real experiences and accessible platforms, the initiative seeks to inform and encourage young South Africans to consider careers in the automotive retail industry.