Established in 1999, the Automotive Industry Export Council (AIEC) serves as the umbrella body for the South African automotive industry’s export promotion and development activities, and represents an important link between the industry and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic). The AIEC represents the interests of seven major motor vehicle manufacturers/exporters, namely, BMW, Ford, Isuzu, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen, as well as 14 manufacturers/exporters of trucks and buses, and about 500 automotive component suppliers in South Africa. The activities and administration of the AIEC are coordinated by the AIEC Board. The AIEC Board of Directors consists of Mr Mikel Mabasa (Chief Executive Officer – naamsa – Chairperson), Dr Norman Lamprecht (Executive Manager – naamsa), Ms Shivani Singh (Director Commercial – NAACAM), as well as two ex-officio members from the DTIC, Mr Mzwakhe Mbatha and Mr Adriaan Adams.
Automotive Industry Export Council (AIEC) 2023
The purpose of the AIEC is to assist companies in the automotive sector that are currently exporting, may be interested in exporting in future, or may become capable of exporting in future. Together with the dtic, the seven major light vehicle OEMs and NAACAM currently fund the AIEC as a way of contributing towards developing, broadening and deepening the automotive supply chain in the country. One of the AIEC’s key service offerings to stimulate export growth and deepen the export base is to facilitate participation in major automotive events abroad. Export promotion mechanisms that are employed by Trade and Investment South Africa (TISA) and the dtic, through support from the Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme, include national pavilions at trade shows, trade missions, and investment and trade initiatives.
