Automotive Industry Export Council (AlEC)

Automobile Parts

Pretoria, Canada

The Automotive Industry Export Council (AIEC) was established in 1999 as the official private sector export promotion body for the automotive industry in South Africa. Products addressed include passenger cars, trucks and buses, original equipment components, aftermarket parts and accessories. 

The AIEC works closely with Trade and Investment South Africa (TISA), the trade promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry, in the following main activities:

General promotion of South African automotive manufacturing capability
Trade Missions of South African companies to potential export markets
Investigations and research into new markets and additional opportunities in existing markets

Funding of the above activities is subsidised by TISA for approved projects and travel.

In addition, the AIEC assists members by providing information on a wide range of markets and export-related subjects through continually updated research and databases, as well as assisting with training programs. The costs of membership are nominal and provide substantial benefits.

The success of the AIEC is self-evident from the large and sustained growth in exports of automotive products from South Africa. You will find some of this in the general sections of this website, and much more in the members-only area. 

The AIEC is operated from the NAAMSA offices in Pretoria and the activities and administration are coordinated by the AIEC Board. The AIEC Board of Directors consists of Mr Roger Pitot (Executive Director – NAACAM – Chairperson), Mr Nico Vermeulen (Director – NAAMSA), Dr Norman Lamprecht (Executive Manager – NAAMSA) as well as two ex-officio members from the Department of Trade and Industry, Mr Mzwakhe Mbatha and Mr Jacob Moatshe.

Export Councils are the prime delivery vehicles that stimulate export growth and deepen the export base. This format was initiated by Trade and Investment South Africa in a number of key sectors, and is also aimed at assisting Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) companies to enter the export market successfully.

The AIEC was established at the end of 1999. The purpose was to provide a cost effective administered central body 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. The end result of the AIEC activities will be to broaden the export base by bringing in more companies that export directly in their own right or by being suppliers to exporting companies. In addition, the objective is to increase the value of exports of automotive products.

The AIEC represents the interests of eight motor vehicle exporters/manufacturers, namely BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Volkswagen as well as exporters/manufacturers of trucks and buses, and over 400 component suppliers in South Africa.

We invite you to explore, and then trust that you will be encouraged to join the AIEC!