There might not be a more recognizable car brand than Ferrari, and as the sole distributor of that brand to South Africa, Ferrari Scuderia finds a lot of its work has been done for it.
“It pretty much comes down to the brand,” says André Rossouw, Scuderia South Africa’s CEO. “One can talk a lot about how one conducts business, our ethics and customer service. But in reality, all of that is overshadowed by the Ferrari brand. It is one of, if not the most recognisable brand in the world. So, we pretty much facilitate the interaction between the customer and the brand.”
A Sign of Luxury
Ferrari might just be the fabled “brand that sells itself,” but that does not mean that Scuderia South Africa’s job is easy. Its mission is to bring Ferrari to a unique market, and that market has its own challenges.
“As you know, South Africa are facing many economic challenges. We have seen little-to-no economic growth and face huge social issues in terms of unemployment and homelessness,” Rossouw tells us. “It is also well known that South Africa has a large disparity between the rich and the poor, so there are a small number of wealthy individuals, a relatively small middle-class people, and an enormous-impoverished community.”
South Africa is facing a dire socioeconomic situation, while Rossouw acknowledges that it has always been a portion of consumers at the top end of the market that can afford Ferrari’s cars. But in times of economic hardship, brands with Ferrari’s prestige can be seen as conspicuous.
“Consuming this product in this socioeconomic landscape is becoming more of a challenging issue and that is a worldwide phenomenon,” Rossouw points out.
To grapple with these issues, Rossouw is taking Scuderia South Africa out into the community to contribute and support its people.
“We contribute toward charitable and community efforts. We have a well-established internship programme that we offer to unemployed individuals every year,” Rossouw says. “Participants can use this as a stepping-stone to permanent employment, and we have gone on to employ some of them ourselves. We believe it has given us a more positive social perspective.”
A Race of Supply and Demand
Almost paradoxically, Ferrari Scuderia South Africa is also struggling to keep up with demand.
“Depending on who you ask, Ferrari production is sold out for between the next one to three years,” Rossouw says. “It is a challenge to satisfy all customer demand.”
Helping customers stay patient for their Ferrari is a careful balancing act. Consumer expectations must be managed, but anticipation must be maintained – after all, a big part of buying a Ferrari is the excitement leading up to receiving it.
“Especially in the world today, instant gratification is a bigger and bigger factor,” says Rossouw. “It is a challenge to keep those customers excited. So, we host events, we hold launches for our new products, and we always have cars for demonstrations to see and drive. We have driving events for customers to keep anticipation levels high.”
However, there will always be some customers who simply cannot wait. For them, Scuderia South Africa has another solution.
“Since we took over the business, our pre-owned offering has grown aggressively,” Rossouw says. “We have focussed on driving the pre-owned side of the business. We have moved aggressively to provide a different offering, with its own benefits, that opens up the market to a different pedigree of customer. It also allows us to serve those who are not yet in a position to buy a new car, or customers not willing to wait for a brand-new car.”
A Passion for Cars
Whether they are buying preowned vehicles or waiting for brand new ones, one thing all Ferrari customers have in common is a real passion for cars, and for the Ferrari brand in particular. To serve them well, Ferrari Scuderia South Africa’s staff must match that passion.
“We put a lot of focus on trying to recruit the correct employee from day one,” Rossouw says. “Someone who wants to be in the industry and wants to work for the brand. We need people with fuel in their veins. If you are passionate about cars and passionate about our products it makes you that much better as an employee. A large portion of our human resources department’s efforts go into finding the right people.”
Those people, in Rossouw’s opinion, are not necessarily the people with a wealth of motor industry experience.
“If you employ people out of the motor industry, they come with pre-existing habits from other companies. We prefer younger and more malleable people we can grow into the business and shape to be a part of the Ferrari ethos,” Rossouw points that.
That ethos starts with passion for the brand, but for Rossouw, there is much more to it than that.
“It is about the history of the brand as well, which has its roots in motor racing,” he explains.
Ask any motor racing aficionado what Ferrari is known for on the racing circuit, the answer will always be the same.
“Performance is a big factor, not only for the cars but for everything we do,” Rossouw says. “In all of our conversations, whatever we are doing, we ask ‘Are we the Ferrari of this activity?’ If we host a launch event it has to be the Ferrari of launch events. Our communications have to be the Ferrari of communications. It is about achieving and maintaining excellence, creating new standards.”
Scuderia South Africa is achieving that by having fresh young blood in the company that is excited to drive the business for decades to come. But it is not enough for Rossouw to be the most prestigious or luxurious motor vehicle brand.
“I want our company to be seen as the friendliest car dealer in South Africa,” Rossouw says. “With a brand like this, some people get that idea that you do not have to deliver customer service. I see it as the complete opposite. It is a privilege to wear the horse on our chest, and with that comes a huge responsibility.”
