The South African Motor Body Repairers' Association (SAMBRA), is calling for urgent alignment among insurers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and motor body repairers, to address mounting structural pressures in the post-collision repair sector.
The critical “sustainability triangle” comprises industry bodies, namely, the South African Insurance Association (SAIA), National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) and SAMBRA. This triangular relationship underpins safe, compliant and economically viable vehicle repair, according to a report in the magazine Autoforum, which covers the automotive aftermarket.
SAMBRA urges the formation of an Industry Sustainability Forum initially comprising SAMBRA, SAIA and NAAMSA. The forum would provide a neutral, collaborative platform to assess systemic risks and economic pressures jointly; develop ethical, future-fit solutions aligned with global best practice and safeguard repair standards, service quality and consumer safety.
SAMBRA warns that increasing technical complexity, shrinking repair capacity, and severe cost pressures are creating a shared risk profile with insurers facing rising costs, turnaround delays and service risks; OEMs risking reputational damage when repairs fall short of standards and motor body repairers operating on increasingly unsustainable margins, with many approaching the breaking point.
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