“Ducati”. Just saying the name gets some bikers misty-eyed. Bologna’s finest have always had that knack for building machines that aren’t just transport, they’re theatre on two wheels. Recently, things have been shifting. Ducati is officially under the Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWGA) umbrella now. Yes, that means the same people who shuffle VWs, Audis and Bentleys around our shores are now tasked with looking after the Italian exotica. Sounds clinical? Maybe. But it also means resources, logistic muscle and systems. All the good stuff that a brand like Ducati deserves.
For most of the last year it looked like nothing much was happening. Aside from a select few journos getting wined and dined at World Ducati Week in Italy, the local scene was quiet. When we stopped in at the new Ducati Claremont shop in Cape Town a while back, the crew were still hanging shelves and waiting for a bunch of stuff. It looked promising, but that was about it. Fast forward, and Ducati SA invited the media to lunch to get us all up to speed. Turns out they’ve been busy behind the scenes. Very busy. The kind of work that isn’t glamorous but sets the foundation:
- Aftersales systems: Stock levels, parts, apparel, accessories. Basically, preventing the “six months for a sprocket” scenario.
- ICASA compliance: Making sure the electronic bits on their bikes don’t mess with air traffic control.
- Homologation: The legal tick-box that lets each Ducati be licensed and sold here. Without it, you’re riding a very expensive garden ornament.
- Customer care (CIC): A hotline for questions and feedback.
- Finance: Ducati Financial Services, bespoke finance to suit your requirements.
It’s the groundwork stuff, not the headline acts, but it matters.
What about dealerships, where you can actually buy a Ducati? Right now, there are three operational dealers:
Centurion: World of Motorcycles, carrying on as they always have.
Cape Town: Ducati Claremont. Pretty much open for business, with a “proper” grand opening promised soon.
Johannesburg: RACE!. This one’s touted to be the flagship, we believe they will be building a World Class experience in the old Audi Sandton premises. A very immersive Ducati experience is on the cards.
But they’re not stopping there. Negotiations are happening for Umhlanga (KZN), Gqeberha with a satellite shop in George, plus plans for Bloemfontein and Mpumalanga. Don’t expect a free for all though. Dealers are being vetted properly. Ducati say they want every outlet to reflect the premium image, no backstreet grease and grind setups flogging red bikes under strip lights.
This is a quick breakdown of what they’re putting in place:
Roadside Assistance nationwide. Run out of fuel in Calvinia, and someone will come to your rescue.
Parts & accessories, ordering through the dealer network, tied into VW’s system but with Ducati tweaks.
Monitoring software that predicts what owners are likely to need, reducing waiting times.
Latest apparel and riding gear including Ducati Corse kit and limited editions.
Dedicated customer care call centre so you don’t feel like you’re shouting into the void.
And yes, they’re also putting more effort into social media, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, to keep riders in the loop. Their new website is apparently just days away from going live. It might sound boring compared to Panigale horsepower figures, but this stuff makes a huge difference to owners.
Ducati’s not just flogging bikes; they’re also putting a lot of effort into brand presence and awareness..
Festival of Motoring at Kyalami, Ducati SA will be running a big parade lap this weekend, so if you’re on a Ducati – go and join the fun.
King of the Whip, this one raised eyebrows. Ducati’s new Desmo 450 is being entered into the freestyle MX event with a local rider. Yes, Ducati dirt bikes. Let that sink in.
Ride-outs and launches, planned events for the Ducati faithful.
DOC (Ducati Owners Club) collaboration, building the community angle.
Big brand launch later this year, details under wraps, but apparently a proper “Ducati SA has arrived” party is coming.
These moves matter. Ducati has always been about more than bikes, the lifestyle and community is a huge part of the attraction. Without that, it’s just another cool motorcycle.
According to Ducati SA, the full model range will be available locally. That means Panigales, Multistradas, Monsters, Diavels, and yes, the Scrambler family as well as the Dirt Bikes. And we will be on the same delivery time line as Europe, so no waiting, watching and drooling while the rest of the world tells us all about the bikes. The Scrambler range in particular will get a big push, with accessories and apparel to match.
And then there are the whispers. Rumours suggest Ducati will unveil some fresh dirt focused machines at EICMA later this year. We’ll see. Don’t quote us, but the timing makes sense.
So where are we really? Well, Ducati SA are making noise about customer first ethos and premium brand experiences. Fair enough, that’s what premium brands do. But strip away the gloss and what you’ve got is a brand putting down proper roots in SA.
The real test won’t be Instagram posts or fancy showroom tiles. It’ll be whether Joe Panigale can get a replacement fairing panel in weeks instead of months, and whether the oke in Springbok who’s just bought a Scrambler can get actual roadside assistance when he runs out of petrol 40 km from anywhere.
If those systems work, Ducati SA could genuinely change the story for the brand locally. There’s reason to be optimistic about Ducati in South Africa. Dealerships are opening, aftersales is being prioritised, and the event calendar is filling up. There’s movement, and proper groundwork is happening behind the scenes. It’s going to be interesting watching this all develop. And if you’ve ever wondered about owning a Ducati, now seems to be the time to start sweet talking your bank manager.
We really look forward to following Ducati’s progress in S.A.
