The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists has named Bridgestone Southern Africa as the new headline sponsor of the South African Car of the Year competition, ushering in a fresh chapter for one of the country's longest-standing automotive awards. The partnership unites two organisations with a common focus on automotive safety, innovation and performance, and comes as the competition prepares for its 41st edition in 2027.
Bridgestone, a global player in tyre technology and mobility solutions, brings a long track record in innovation, safety and performance to the table. Its product range covers motorsport, passenger vehicles, light and heavy commercial vehicles, earthmoving and agricultural equipment, motorcycles and aircraft.
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The sponsorship arrives at a time of considerable change in South Africa's automotive landscape, with new brands entering the market, vehicle technology advancing and consumer interest in electrified mobility on the rise.
Jacques Rikhotso, Regional Vice President for Bridgestone in Africa and the Middle East, said the competition offers an important platform for recognising automotive excellence, innovation and engineering. He said Bridgestone is proud to back an initiative that celebrates the industry's progress while helping motorists make informed decisions, adding that the involvement reflects the company's commitment to safer, more sustainable mobility.
The COTY competition was established in 1986 by leading motoring journalists and is hosted annually by the SAGMJ. It has built a reputation for independent and rigorous vehicle evaluation. Over four decades it has evolved alongside the industry, with experienced jurors assessing eligible new vehicles against a comprehensive scoring system covering quality, safety, technology, performance and value for money.
The SAGMJ retains responsibility for running the competition and overseeing its independent judging process, with vehicle assessments and results determined by the appointed jury in line with established criteria.
Brendon Staniforth, Chairperson of the SAGMJ, welcomed Bridgestone as the new headline sponsor, describing the partnership as an important milestone as the organisation builds on four decades of recognising automotive excellence and strengthens the competition's relevance to South African motorists.
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He said with an increasingly competitive market, the arrival of new brands and rapidly evolving vehicle technologies, independent and credible vehicle evaluation has never been more important. Bridgestone's support, he added, will help the competition build on its legacy while remaining relevant in a changing mobility landscape.
The 2027 competition takes place against a backdrop of growing competition from established and emerging manufacturers, expanding electrified offerings and increasingly sophisticated safety and driver-assistance technologies.
Following more than 60 new vehicle launches in 2026, the 41st edition gets underway in November with the announcement of the 2027 COTY committee and jury. Semi-finalists will be announced in early December, with finalists following in January 2027. Intensive testing days in March will see jurors put the finalists through comprehensive evaluations before the overall and category winners are announced in May 2027.
Rikhotso added that as vehicles evolve, tyre technology remains critical to safety, performance and efficiency. He said Bridgestone continues to develop solutions through leading-edge innovation and a commitment to quality that support changing mobility needs and help motorists drive with confidence, and that the company looks forward to contributing its expertise and strengthening engagement with the South African automotive industry.
With Bridgestone on board, the SAGMJ says it looks forward to building on the competition's legacy while continuing to give South African motorists independent, credible assessments of the latest vehicles entering the market.
Colin Windell for Colin-on-Cars in association with
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Images are from the 2026 test days
