MAN invests in talent to fortify bus leadership

March 22, 2024

MAN Automotive – the long-time leader in South Africa’s bus market – has announced two key appointments within its bus and coach division. Giacomo Virgili is the new head of sales and product bus and Ryno Blignaut has been appointed sales manager bus.

Virgili joined MAN eight years ago, while Blignaut joined the company in 2013, and both are seasoned professionals in the commercial vehicle industry.

During his decades-long career within the transport industry, Virgili has held leading roles in logistics, operations, supply chain management, fleet optimisation, retailing, customer service, operations, and business management. He has a diploma in Road Transport Management.

Blignaut, on the other hand, has expertise in accounting, law, sales, operations, management, and trailers. He received the Truck Salesman of the Year Award at MAN Tulisa Park in 2016 and 2018. He subsequently received the Truck Sales Manager of the Year Award at MAN Automotive in 2020.

Jan Aichinger, managing director of MAN Automotive (South Africa), believes that the appointments bode well for the company. “I have full confidence that with Giacomo Virgili as head of sales and product bus and Ryno Blignaut as the sales manager bus, we have the right team leading our bus and coach business in the future. I have no doubt that they will maintain MAN’s market leadership in South Africa,” he says.

Virgili is dedicated to achieving targets and growing both sales and the customer base year on year. “I see the market growing organically from last year, with more consolidation in this sector after a trying period leading up to 2024. There are a number of new players and products in the bus and coach market, and I am confident that it will continue to grow to pre-Covid numbers,” he predicts. “Our team will secure market leadership by continuing to do what we do best: giving the market what they want by listening to our customers and growing the partnerships we have.”

Naturally, a considerable amount of time and effort will centre on the most talked-about bus handover in South Africa in the last decade, namely the delivery of the first MAN Lion’s Explorer 12 E outside Europe to Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) late last year.

Virgili says the rollout of the MAN Lion’s Explorer 12 E is going according to plan, with the first test unit being completed before the target date. “As this is a completely new product for the market that was specifically developed for use here in South Africa, we are excited about the amount of interest it has generated for MAN – not only locally but around the world. The new model is being built entirely in South Africa according to the wishes of our customers and local market requirements. This makes it unique,” he elaborates.

Initial feedback from GABS has been positive. “Our partnerships with GABS and all our other customers are key to us moving forward and making a tangible difference to the market. We constantly monitor the performance of the test product in conjunction with GABS. To date, the results are even beyond expectations, with both operator and passenger feedback far better than projected,” reveals Virgili.

Not surprisingly, the electric bus has piqued the interest of other operators too. “Since the launch of the MAN Lion’s Explorer 12 E, we have had a tremendous amount of interest in the product from all spheres of the sector. The obvious constraints are infrastructure related, but with innovation and typical South African ingenuity, I believe that solutions are not far off,” says Virgili.

Of course, MAN’s market leadership has more to do with vehicles with internal combustion engines and the team will also continue to focus on this core business, as well as its core competencies. “We always want to have the best team, offering quality products that our customers want. At the same time, we want to constantly improve and develop new products, making sure we lead the market,” says Blignaut.

Virgili agrees. “Our market-leading position is thanks to the fact that we are very focused on partnerships. Plus, we have a strong brand and tailor-made products for a very unique market. We are currently the only OEM in the region that offers a one-stop solution when it comes to passenger mobility: our world-class bodybuilding facility located in Olifantsfontein. This not only shows our commitment to the local economy but gives us the ability to adapt and produce bespoke products for our customers’ unique operational needs,” he notes.

Naturally, the focus will be on securing market leadership once again this year. “In order to achieve this, we will stay on top of our customers’ needs. At the same time, we will provide them with great service and the best quality products,” Blignaut reiterates.