Motus Holdings

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Motus
Company typePublic
JSE: MTH[1]
ISINZAE000261913
IndustryAutomotive
Pre-owned vehicles
PredecessorImperial Holdings
Founded1948; 78 years ago (1948)[2]
Headquarters,
Number of locations
1,285 (2024)[3]
Area served
Africa
Australia
South East Asia
United Kingdom, among others
Key people
Johnson JJ Njeke (Chairman)
Ockert Janse van Rensburg (CEO)[4]
RevenueIncrease R113.76 billion[5]
Increase R8.31 billion (2024)[5]
Decrease R2.47 billion (2024)[5]
Total assetsDecrease R62.64 billion (2024)[5]
Total equityIncrease R18.13 billion (2024)[5]
Number of employees
20,156 (2024)[3]
DivisionsMotus Select
Motor Parts Direct
SubsidiariesGetWorth (60%)
Motus Holdings (UK) Limited
Websitewww.motus.co.za

Motus (officially Motus Holdings Limited) is a South African non-manufacturing automotive group. Founded in 1948, the company is headquartered in Germiston, Gauteng.[6][7][8]

Motus is South Africa's largest vehicle dealership group,[9] and one of the country's largest companies by revenue, and is listed on the JSE Limited and A2X.[1]

Motus was founded originally part of Imperial Holdings, which was founded in South Africa in 1948, with the opening of a car dealership in Johannesburg's CBD.[2]

In January 2018, following its unbundling from Imperial Holdings Limited, Motus Holdings Limited was listed on the JSE Limited.[2]

In March 2021, Motus acquired a 49% shareholding in preowned vehicle retailer GetWorth. Founded in 2017, GetWorth pays buyers cash for their vehicles, and then sells them in warehouses. The company has a flagship location in Montague Gardens, Cape Town.[10]

Motus' GetWorth shareholding was increased to 60% in May 2022. At the time, GetWorth had plans to build a new outlet, located in Gauteng.[11]

At the end of September 2022, Motus' UK subsidiary, Motus Holdings (UK) Limited, acquired British company, Motor Parts Direct, for R3.62 billion (£182 million).[12]

In November 2024, Motus CEO Osman Arbee retired, after being at the company (and the former Imperial Holdings) for over 20 years. Motus' CFO, Ockert Janse van Rensburg, was appointed as the new CEO.[13]

In February 2025, Motus announced that it had signed a 5-year deal with Indian car manufacturer Tata to distribute its passenger vehicles in South Africa, as well as certain neighboring countries.[14]

In 2025, Motus reported annual South African vehicle sales of 52,548 - an 8% increase year-over-year. At the time, the group had 323 dealerships in the country.[15]

Operations

Motus has a presence in numerous markets, including South Africa, other parts of Southern Africa, East Africa, Australia, South East Asia, and the United Kingdom. As at mid-2025, the company ran 1,285 outlets across all its regions of operation.[1]

The company has 4 divisions, listed below, with the percentage of the group's overall revenue each division accounted for in 2024 in brackets next to each one.[6][3]

  • Import and Distribution (15%)
  • Retail and Rental (72%)
  • Mobility Solutions, including fintech, data, and financial services (2%)
  • Aftermarket Parts – distributor, wholesaler, and retailer for out-of-warranty vehicles (11%)

Among the services Motus offers are new vehicle sales, pre-owned vehicle sales (for vehicles up to 6 years of age), parts and related goods sales, vehicle workshops for maintenance, and car rental. Motus operates in both the passenger and commercial vehicle market.[3]

The company has around 80 dealerships as part of its Motus Select Pre-owned vehicle network.[16]

Motus also owns the South African pre-owned vehicle brand Auto Pedigree, which holds around 3,000 cars in stock, with 71 dealerships across the country as at mid-2025.[17]

South Africa is Motus' largest market, where, as at mid-2025, the company operates 933 outlets. Of these, 335 are retail dealerships, including 31 for commercial vehicles and 205 for passenger vehicles, as well as 63 Auto Pedigree dealerships and 36 Motus Select dealerships.[3]

It also operates 125 car rental branches and kiosks, and 473 aftermarket parts outlets in South Africa (468 of which are franchises and 5 of which are canopy fitment centers).[3]

The Gauteng province has the most Motus outlets, by a significant margin. This is followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, matching South Africa's major population center distribution.

Aside from its SA operations, Motus also has operations in Southern and East Africa, where the company owns 12 retail dealerships, 15 car rental outlets, and 58 aftermarket parts outlets. Motus also operates 47 passenger vehicle dealerships in Australia, 1 aftermarket parts distribution center in Taiwan, and 1 in China. The group also runs 88 commercial vehicle dealerships, 34 passenger vehicle dealerships, 2 parts DCs, and 178 parts outlets in the United Kingdom, and another parts DC in Europe.[3]

In terms of new vehicle sales, in its mid-2025 annual report, for the preceding fiscal year, Motus recorded around 512,000 sales in South Africa, roughly 2.4 million in the United Kingdom, and around 1.3 million in Australia. Used car sales for the same period totaled approximately 312,000 in South Africa, approximately 7.2 million in the UK, and around 2.1 million in Australia.[3]

The same report showed that the United Kingdom represented Motus' largest market for new energy vehicles, followed by Australia, and then South Africa.[3]

Brands

Motus is the exclusive distributor in South Africa for Mitsubishi, Tata, Renault, Kia, and Hyundai vehicles.[14] The company also has exclusive distribution rights for Nissan in 4 East African countries, and for Haval in 2 East African countries.[3]

Other brands Motus imports for sale in SA include Omoda, Jetour, Jaecoo, MG, and Chery.[9][18]

In 2025, Motus sold vehicles in South Africa across 29 manufacturers and 39 automotive brands.[9]

In February 2026, Motus expanded to include Honda, Suzuki, and Mahindra vehicles. This was in response to changing market conditions, including an increase in competitiveness of Chinese automotive manufacturers.[19]

Corporate social responsibility

References

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