Face to face with Jan Aichinger

Rethinking the used truck business

One of those avenues has been the used vehicle market, which has required sharper discipline than ever before. “At the beginning of 2025, we had too many used trucks in stock,” Aichinger admits. The rule, he says, is simple. “On the used side, you have to turn the vehicles within six months maximum. Otherwise, you’re destroying value.” In response, MAN Automotive South Africa introduced three new initiatives – each aimed at creating liquidity, expanding reach and reducing risk.

The first was a focused push into Africa. “We hired someone who didn’t come out of the industry, but who had lots of contacts into Africa. That was very deliberate,” Aichinger says.

Competing with Chinese manufacturers north of South Africa’s borders requires realism. “If you want to compete with the Chinese in the copper markets, you’re not going to win with used vehicles,” he says. “Those transporters buy new Chinese vehicles.” Instead, MAN has focused on other export sectors – and the results have been tangible.

Selling parts differently – and a global first

The second and third initiatives are arguably more radical – and have placed South Africa at the forefront of MAN’s global strategy. “We now have four product lines when it comes to parts: original parts, remanufactured parts, second-grade localised parts produced in South Africa and, now, used parts,”  Aichinger explains.

This fourth category is entirely new. “I believe we are the only manufacturer in South Africa doing this,” he says. “And South Africa is the first MAN market worldwide to implement this product offering.” The logic is compelling. “We are selling used vehicles to ourselves,” he explains. “We disassemble them and sell the used parts.”

The implications for customers are significant. “If you have a major crash with a six-year-old vehicle, the insurance company might say it’s a write-off,” Aichinger says. “But that won’t necessarily happen if you can buy a used, fully trimmed cab.” He pauses. “Yes, the cab may be five years old. But it’s not older than the cab that was destroyed in the accident.”

In 2026, MAN expects to disassemble around 60 vehicles. “This is a completely new selling channel for us,” he says. “At the same time, it’s a real win for our customers; they can lower their expenses and grow their profits.”

Financing differently in a risk-averse world

Financing remains one of the biggest barriers in the used truck space – and one where Aichinger believes the industry still thinks too conservatively. “I’ve seen that banks are rather hesitant to finance used trucks,” he says. “But they are perfectly happy to finance a new vehicle where you lose 20% the moment it’s registered.”

The irony is not lost on him. “If something goes wrong in the first year, the loss on the bank’s side is enormous,” he says. “With a used truck, if an engine blows up, you have an opportunity.” That opportunity, he explains, is to finance the repair. “You add it to the monthly instalment. The customer is grateful, and you end up with a loyal customer going forward.”

MAN has responded by strengthening its financial arm. “We have hired a new managing director at MAN Financial Services South Africa – Paul Uys,” Aichinger says. “He came with a team of highly experienced experts. Together, we’ve developed alternative structures for financing used vehicles.” Customers, he adds, can also purchase warranties to further mitigate risk.

Products that quietly outperform

Despite the pressure on the premium segment, some MAN products have exceeded expectations. “The TGM has been a real success story in South Africa – to the point where we even ran short of stock last year,” Aichinger says. The reason is straightforward. “It’s the only truck in its class with a proper sleeper cabin,” he explains. “It’s not just a small little day cab, and that makes a real difference for customers.”

More product enhancements are coming. “We have some big news coming in 2026,” he says with a smile. “Watch this space!”

Getting closer to customers

Internally, MAN has also restructured to better reflect market realities. “We used to have three regions. Now we have four – Cape Town and the Garden Route, a central region, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal – to get closer to the market,” Aichinger elaborates.

Sales processes have also been streamlined. “We used to have our own retail team and then salespeople working for our dealers. That wasn’t ideal; we were wasting capacity,”  he says. Today, all sales activity is centrally coordinated. “Philip Kalil-Zackey, our vice president truck sales and product, and his team are steering all the salespeople,” Aichinger explains. “We’ve opened up the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Everyone works on the same platform.”

Dealer reaction has been positive. “They were very supportive, and so they should be. This will free up capacity and help with market penetration,” he affirms.