AUTOFORUM

MISA to meet with the DTIC over tariff concerns and Automotive Masterplan 2035

Feb 11, 2026 MISA, Motor Industry Staff Association, Martle Keyter, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC). Mkhululi Mlota

MISA to meet with the DTIC over tariff concerns and Automotive Masterplan 2035

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) agreed to urgently meet with MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, on critical automotive and trade policy matters that directly affect thousands of workers across the country. Martle Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations, expressed her concern over DTIC’s submissions to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry to consider imposing tariffs of up to 50% on vehicle imports from China and India to prevent “dumping” and to protect the country’s automotive industry against a bloodbath of job losses.

DTIC did not consult MISA prior to its presentation. MISA is the majority trade union in the retail motor industry representing 75 000 members of the industry’s 310 000 employees. According to Keyter the Union welcomes DTIC’s internal review to assess potential measures to protect the automotive industry but believes this should not be done to the detriment of the retail motor industry.

MISA is committed to the aims of the Automotive Industry Master Plan 2035 to expand the automotive industry by increasing local content, improving global competitiveness, deepening value addition and transforming ownership with the goal to double employment in the automotive sector by 2035.

“MISA is concerned about the overemphasis on the automotive industry in DTIC’s review and the plan in general. DTIC fails to take into account the jobs the Chinese and Indian brands have created in the retail motor industry. Since 2020 there has been a loss of 41 dealerships nationwide, from 3 016 down to 2 975. The bloodbath in the retail motor industry would have been much worse if not for the Chinese and Indian vehicle brands establishing new dealership networks nationwide”, says Keyter.

Mkhululi Mlota, Chief Director: Automotives at DTIC, acknowledged MISA’s letter and undertook to respond with proposed dates.

MISA wants to meet with DTIC to:

• Seek clarity on the Department’s policy direction regarding potential tariff adjustments.

• Present organised labour’s perspective on how proposed measures may affect employment stability and industry growth.

• Contribute constructively to ongoing policy discussions in the interest of inclusive economic development.

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