Pillay is an experienced leader with a proven track record in the automotive industry. He is an astute leader with strong expertise in automotive operations management, customer satisfaction, sales management, pricing strategy, and procurement. He has more than twenty years of automotive experience and has been with CFAO South Africa since 2021.
Visagie has served as managing director of Hertz Rent a Car Southern Africa for the past five years. He brings over 30 years of retail sales management experience with the Toyota brand, playing a pivotal role in Hertz’s successful turnaround through a customer-centric approach. He continues to drive sustainable growth and operational excellence while maintaining strong partnerships with all OEMs.
Andrew Velleman, Group CEO of CFAO South Africa, says of the appointments: "We are proud to welcome Kevin Pillay to his new role as CFAO Mobility South Africa managing director, and Julian Visagie to the CFAO South Africa executive committee. We expect CFAO Mobility South Africa and Hertz Rent a Car to continue their growth and expansion in the market. Kevin and Julian demonstrate the principles of collaboration, resilience, and commitment to customer service, underpinned by their thorough understanding of the business and strong alignment with CFAO South Africa's strategy. These qualities are crucial drivers of the company's future growth and expansion, enabling the CFAO South Africa way.”
Before taking up his new role as managing director of CFAO Mobility South Africa, Pillay was the divisional executive for the Volkswagen and Audi brands in the CFAO Mobility South Africa stable. Prior to that, Pillay served as general manager of another dealer group in the Western Cape. Throughout his career, the businesses he has led have received numerous honours, recognising his strength as a business leader and a champion of people, with a strong emphasis on delivering results.
Pillay looks forward to taking up his new role and says: "Our secret to success at CFAO Mobility South Africa is teamwork. The dedication of our colleagues makes CFAO Mobility South Africa a critical component of CFAO South Africa’s positioning as a key player in the mobility market. Continuous improvement, unlocking personal potential, and ensuring constant customer-centricity are at the core of how I lead. CFAO South Africa is a phenomenal platform for cross-business collaboration as we build our integrated mobility value ecosystem. We will continue to work shoulder to shoulder as we develop a brighter future for all our colleagues in CFAO South Africa."
Visagie stresses that great service is at the core of the Hertz offering: "We focus on service as our number one priority, and that is how we strive to be the best in the industry. We are always well prepared to meet our customers' needs. I think service and the quality of our product differentiate us." He also mentions that this service ethos will remain his focus as he serves on the CFAO South Africa executive committee.
Kevin Pillay succeeds Carel Volschenk, who retires from CFAO South Africa after a successful tenure as managing director of CFAO Mobility South Africa. Andrew Velleman thanks Carel for his dedication, hard work and business performance over many years.
