Sambra Awards a resounding success

MOTORING NEWS - Short-term insurer Santam has won the prestigious SA Motor Body Repairers' Association (Sambra), award for insurer of the year for 2017 and 2018 - one of three awards it received.

Toyota SA received the top honours for all-round best original equipment manufacturer (OEM), RSB Autogroup scooped the service excellence award in the paint suppliers category and equipment supplier Gondolier took the overall service excellence award in the equipment suppliers category.

The awards ceremony took place in Johannesburg on Wednesday 6 February, and honoured top vehicle insurers and OEMs, as well as paint and equipment suppliers, for excellence in service provision to Sambra members.

Sambra is a proud Association of the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) organisation and represents the majority of motor body repairers in the country. The association focuses on creating and maintaining industry sustainability and development and the annual awards is one of its top events.

"The Sambra survey upon which these awards are based, has been conducted each year since 2011 to monitor the business relationship between the insurance and motor body repair industry.

It was subsequently extended to also include OEMs, as well as paint and equipment suppliers, each of which makes a vital contribution to the motor body repair industry," said Jeanne Esterhuizen, Sambra's national chairperson and president of RMI.

OEM Category winners. From left are Charles Claasen (Toyota SA); Annelise van Staden (VW) and Byron Rudman (Audi).

The survey is independently managed and audited by Lightstone Consumer. The survey targets the eligible 880 Sambra members nationwide to rate insurers, OEMs and suppliers on fair business practices, green practices, relationship satisfaction, quality of vehicle damage assessment and repairers' interaction with claims.

OEM category winners: