Car of the Year backer is back

Old Mutual Insure, one of South Africa’s leading non-life insurers, has confirmed it will once again back the Car of the Year (COTY) awards, for 2023/2024, in partnership with the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ). 

This will be the second consecutive year that sees the insurer as the headline sponsor.

“COTY raised automotive benchmarks in 2022/2023 in a way that we hadn’t seen before Covid-19 when uncertainty created many challenges for manufacturers, importers, consumers and insurers alike,” says Garth Napier, MD of Old Mutual Insure. “We learnt that, despite a tough market in which more is expected for less, excellence, innovation and performance are still possible.”

Old Mutual Insure will add value to the sponsorship through consumer education awareness and an emphasis on road safety. Lizo Mnguni, spokesperson for Old Mutual Insure, said this could not come at a better time, given that the authorities will soon have its work cut out for itself during the upcoming holiday season to reduce the 2022 festive season fatality figure of 1599.

Says Mnguni: “Consumers have loved COTY for the value it brings to their lives, helping them make the right vehicle decisions for themselves and their families. It puts consumers in the driving seat of their journeys, so to speak. Road safety awareness is an extension of this concept, as much of what happens on our roads is preventable. Consumer behaviour can lead to better outcomes, which is an empowering opportunity.”

COTY has been awarding automotive excellence since its inception in 1986. Mabuyane Mabuza, chairperson of 2023 COTY and vice-chair of the SAGMJ, says: “We look forward to building on the successful collaboration started with Old Mutual Insure last year, which was based on a partnership of equals, signified by credentials and track record.”

The announcement of the 2024 COTY Semi-Finalists took place last week, with the Finalist voting taking place early in the new year. The winner will be announced around mid-2024.

In 2022/2023, the COTY competition had 21 finalists selected from a pool of 55 qualifying vehicles representing various categories. The ultimate winner was the double cab 4×4 Ford Ranger, a historic win, as it was the first time in the competition’s history that the top honours went to a bakkie.