Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has officially taken over the Ducati retail operations in South Africa. Technically, VWGA took over Ducati South Africa on 1 January this year, but the appointment was formally presented at the Volkswagen Indaba 2025 media event at the Volkswagen factory in Kariega near Gqeberha (quondam: Port Elizabeth) on 5 February. Ducati is the group’s fourth brand joining Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
VWGA’s responsibilities include the management of retail operations and import of Ducati motorcycles, parts and accessories for the South African market.
Simphiwe Nghona, Head of Sales and Marketing at VWGA, said: “Ducati is a premium international motorcycle brand with a strong and proud heritage. Over the years, it has built a loyal and passionate client base in South Africa which our company is excited and looking forward to servicing from now on. We are confident that the current and future Ducati clients will positively benefit from our established sales and after-sales processes, as well as our dealer network.”
It was confirmed that Ducati Centurion, which was servicing Ducati clients previously, will continue as an official dealer while the team will be announcing a new Ducati dealership in the Western Cape that will be opening soon. The group will next be turning its gaze towards Durban in KZN for a third dealer.
Nghona added: “We have set an ambitious growth target for the brand in its first two years of full operations under the VWGA stewardship. Our target is to achieve a double-digit market share in South Africa by the end of 2026 from the current market share base. The brand growth will be boosted by a range of exciting models which will be introduced in South Africa over the next two years.”
Tertius Cronje will head the Ducati brand in South Africa. He has 24 years of experience in the automotive retail business gained in the local and international markets, including stints with Indian Motorcycle, Harley-Davidson Middle East/Africa and MV Agusta.
At Volkswagen Indaba, Cronje emphasised Volkswagen Group Africa’s further contributions towards Ducati South Africa through Volkswagen Financial Services, Customer Care and other services.
“We are working very hard with the Volkswagen Financial Services team to launch Ducati Finance in May. This will make owning a Ducati motorcycle not only easier but more affordable. We are also implementing Ducati Customer Care, managed by Volkswagen CIC specialists here in Kariega, to ensure that Ducati owners will experience world-class customer service. Furthermore, all Ducati motorcycles under warranty will also benefit from Roadside Assistance.”
Also present at Volkswagen Indaba 2025 was Gherardo Morico, an international guest from the Ducati Factory in Italy.
“Ducati has been represented in South Africa for a long time and through several distributors, the last one being MFE Motorcycles, who will remain part of the official network of VWGA as a dealer. Considering the peculiarity of the market, with an important culture for motorcycles and for motorsport but at the same time with big distances between the major cities and a very fragmented market outside of Gauteng, we believe that we can benefit from cooperation with Volkswagen Group, taking advantage of their strong presence in the country, in order to offer better coverage in the territory”
Morico went to discuss the benefits of Ducati South Africa operating within the Volkswagen Group Africa.
“Besides enabling us to better cover the market, we believe the partnership with the Group – a solution we already successfully experienced in other markets such as Argentina and Spain – will allow Ducati to better pursue its aim to improve the client’s experience in South Africa thanks to the implementation of more structured processes coming from the automotive world.”
The news of Ducati South Africa’s move to Volkswagen Group Africa comes after a strong finish for Ducati globally in 2024. The brand won its third successive MotoGP Championship while moving 55,000 motorcycles.
For 2025, Ducati will be releasing the V2 engine in a new Panigale, Streetfighter and Multistrada, plus will enter the world of motocross with the new Demo450 MX model that has already seen success by winning the 2024 Italian MX1 Championship.
Volkswagen Group Africa CEO Martina Biene, an avid biker herself, conveyed her excitement at having Ducati onboard, expressing how the passion and dedication of both Ducati products and Ducati riders complement that of Volkswagen and Audi.
The new Ducati website and social media channels are live:
Web: www.ducati.co.za
Facebook: Ducati South Africa
Instagram: ducati_southafrica
