Smartgrowth Investments Proprietary Limited, the new owner of Scuderia South Africa (SA), the official Ferrari distributor in Southern Africa, has big plans to grow the premium Italian brand in the country.
After becoming a stakeholder in Scuderia SA in May 2014, Smartgrowth recently completed the purchase of all shares from previous shareholders and took full control of the subsidiary.
This being no small feat in the automotive world, TopAuto got in contact with Andre Rossouw, the new CEO of Scuderia SA, to get more insights into the motivation behind Smartgrowth’s acquisition of the brand, as well as to find out the future trajectory of Ferrari on the southern tip of Africa.
Scuderia South Africa Johannesburg
A natural next step
Rossouw called Smartgrowth’s share purchase a natural progression, considering the two companies have been familiar with one another since at least 2014 and Smartgrowth has an intimate knowledge of Scuderia SA’s operations, thus allowing for a smooth integration – a process that already started around a year ago in November of 2022.
Speaking on the key factors that influenced the full acquisition, the CEO highlighted the “commercial potential” of Ferrari as a major contributor, but that wasn’t all there was to it.
“Both myself and the representatives of Smarthgrowth are hugely passionate about the Ferrari brand,” said the new CEO.
“Therefore, when the opportunity came up, we couldn’t let it pass.”
Scuderia South Africa Johannesburg showroom
Now that these formalities are out of the way, the task of “maximising excellence in every aspect” lies ahead for Smartgrowth’s new asset, with the core focus being the intersection of brand and customer.
In the short run, Scuderia SA has confirmed that it will introduce the long-awaited Purosangue, Ferrari’s first foray into the crossover segment, as well as the Roma Spider to its line-up before the end of 2023.
After this, Rossouw said the subsidiary is working hard to strengthen its pre-owned business, “especially while new vehicles remain oversubscribed.” This hints that the automaker isn’t short of South African patrons, as it is actively looking for ways to accommodate more.
All other branches of the business are under the magnifying glass to see where they can be improved, too, “from customer service, to unmatched experiences, to exciting product and brand offerings,” said the CEO.
“The previous owners and current staff of Scuderia had done an exceptional job of maximising its potential. But, since we are a sales-driven organisation, we certainly have aspirations of growing the business and the iconic Ferrari brand even further in South Africa.”
Scuderia South Africa Johannesburg configuration room
Smartgrowth is highly optimistic about the future of the South African automotive industry as a whole, despite the air of negativity wafting through the country in recent times.
“In general, the automotive industry will continue to face the myriad of challenges we’ve become accustomed to, such as disposable income pressure faced by households,” said Rossouw.
“However, we as South Africans are highly resilient and driven, which will aid in finding solutions to what challenges are brought about by market conditions.”
The “immense following” of Ferrari in South Africa underscores this optimism, he said.
Behind the facade
For Rossouw, the Scuderia SA acquisition wasn’t just motivated by growing the investment firm’s revenue. The CEO is a true Tifosi at heart.
When it comes to Formula 1, he is unmatched in his love for Ferrari as a racing team, he doesn’t even recognise others on the paddock.
“Are there other teams?” quipped Rossouw when asked about which badge he really supports when no one else is watching.
“Ferrari has been, by far, the most successful constructor in the history of F1. Ferrari is also the only constructor to have participated in F1 since its inception.”
He said that if he were to buy a Ferrari, he would have it in no other colour but Rosso Corsa, which has been the main hue of the manufacturer’s F1 car for many seasons, and for good reason, it’s absolutely mesmerizing.
The new head of Scuderia SA is also a lover of modern prancing horses.
If given the chance to have any Ferrari there ever was in his garage, the CEO said the new 296 GTB (or the GTS, he’s not that picky) would have to fill that hole.
The hybridised 296 employs a new-generation 2.9-litre, V6 powerplant with a generous 610kW and 740Nm on tap, which is lovingly called the “Picollo V12” or “little V12” in enthusiast circles, alluding to the opinion that the motor sounds more like the legendary Ferrari V12s fans adore than an electrified V6.
“Just as the Rosso Corsa color has become synonymous with the brand’s racing heritage and performance, so too does Ferrari itself continue to set new standards of excellence in the world of luxury automobiles,” concluded Rossouw.
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