The Mortimer story

In 1961, Toyota sets foot in South Africa. In the same year Geoff Mortimer and his dad started “Mortimer Motors” in the small town of Estcourt. A non-franchise but a dealership nonetheless!

Who is Geoff Mortimer?

In a motorsport career spanning more than six decades, Geoff has excelled at everything from racing and rallying with distinction, to building winning race cars and managing the teams that race them. A legend on his own, Geoff was driving the V8 Rover Marina!

The Mortimers sold off their shares in the early 70’s after Mortimer became a Renault Garage, and a year or three after this, it became a fully franchised Toyota Dealership. The new partners do what partners do best, they quarrel and it is during one of these that Rudi Seele got a share in the company in 1986.

There was a total of 19 employees.

The late 1990’s

This is where it gets interesting… Speaking to some employees that have been with the group since this time, Rudi Seele always spoiled himself over Christmas, buying a new dealership in the months of December. In short succession, Mortimer Toyota Estcourt bought the (Tugela) Toyota dealerships in 1997 (Ladysmith) and 1998 (Newcastle). Toyota in Harrismith followed in 1999. Of the original eight shareholders, only two remained: the Seele Trust, who owned the majority share and the Hallmark Group.

Give or take another December and Toyota in Bethlehem followed suit in 2004. Two provinces down and eight to go! Toyota in Vredenburg was acquired in 2011 and renamed “Mortimer Toyota Weskus”, servicing the greater Weskus area, all the way up to the Namibian Coast. Soon after the group purchased Toyota Matatiele in the Eastern Cape.

The company diversified circa 2015 when they bought their first Ford and Mazda dealerships in Newcastle. Kokstad followed shortly and then it was just a hop, skip and a jump to owning Fords in Harrismith, Bethlehem and Heidelberg.

Toyota in Frankfort and Dundee opened their doors 2016/7. Dundee Toyota was the first acquisition with the Thesele Group as a partner, the start of a beautiful relationship!

During the midst of the Covid-chaos, and with Thesele as partner, four dealerships came on board in Queenstown. Not just Toyota but our first Nissan and Hyundai dealerships! An added two more Ford dealerships (and another Hyundai) were purchased from the Ritchie Group in Standerton and Vryheid.

In the last four years, the company opened five Mahindra and two Kia dealerships across the country and took over management of Hyde Park Toyota, in partnership with Thesele and other shareholders.

39 years later and a single dealership with 19 employees has grown to a staggering group consisting of 30, with 800 employees and counting.

All dealerships offer sales and after service.

To say the last 39 years was a rollercoaster ride would be an understatement. It has been a remarkable journey led by a remarkable family.

Family owned, Rudi handed over the reins to his son Ryan, who is the current CEO. Both dad and son won the esteemed Toyota Chairman’s Award with Rudi winning the President Award in 2011.

Too many highlights to remember, but if you get a chance to speak to Rudi, it is always with a smile as he remembers and shares the past.

What strikes most is when he starts talking about his staff, the customers, the bank, and him sitting right smack in the middle of that triangle, looking at all three corners: “Motivate and encourage your staff in the one corner”, he says, “it will motivate and encourage them to care for their customers. In the second corner, carry them in their hands,” he says. “And that will sort out the bank, in the third corner!”

It all boils down to respect, recognising the strength in others. Bring out the best, in every technician and every salesman.

Taking executive decisions at the right time, allowed not just the company, but also its staff to grow. In the early Toyota years, assisting Toyota to lead the way, the company increased its market share.

For the people at the Mortimer Group, this is just the beginning! The Decembers are not over yet!