Mercedes-Benz SA welcomes Abey Kgotle as its new CEO amidst significant market challenges
Abey Kgotle will assume the role of new CEO from December 2025.
Image: Supplied
Mercedes-Benz has appointed Abey Kgotle as its new CEO, among key personnel changes announced this week.
Kgotle will assume his new role from December 1, 2025, following the November 30 departure of the local division's current CEO Andreas Brand.
The outgoing CEO is assuming a new role in Stuttgart, Germany, where he will be responsible for seven manufacturing operations around the world.
The leadership change comes at a time when Mercedes-Benz, along with its fellow German manufacturers, is losing market share in South Africa.
To put that into perspective, Mercedes sales dropped by 82% between 2014 and 2024, BusinessTech reported earlier this year, while its counterparts Audi and BMW/Mini have seen their volumes drop by 70% and 50% respectively.
New CEO Abey Kgotle currently serves as Executive Director of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs at Mercedes-Benz SA. He assumes the new role with more than 20 years of experience in strategic human resources management as well as labour relations, advanced negotiations and stakeholder engagement.
Kgotle has held executive roles at numerous blue-chip companies across the manufacturing and mining industries, including Lonmin and Samancor Manganese.
He has also held senior HR management roles at the City of Johannesburg and Naschem, a division of state-owned enterprise Denel.
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Further to that, he has served on the boards of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services and Daimler Trucks and Buses SA.
Kgotle currently also serves as Chairman of the Automobile Employers Organisation (AMEO), which represents South Africa's OEMs.
'We warmly welcome Mr Kgotle on his appointment as CEO of MBSA Limited. We look forward to his leadership that brings new energy and vision as he continues to build on our solid foundation and pursue new opportunities for growth and innovation,' said Wilfried Porth, Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
As the outgoing CEO, Brand also currently serves as Executive Director of MBSA Manufacturing, a separate replacement for that role will be announced in due course, the company said.
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