Volkswagen group plans to double sales of Ducati bikes in SA

Ducati has become the newest brand in the Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) stable in SA. The premium Italian motorcycle marque was acquired by Volkswagen’s sister brand Audi in 2012.

VW will import and retail Ducati motorcycles locally and plans to double sales of the brand by expanding the dealer network. In addition to the existing retailer in Gauteng, new dealers will be appointed in Cape Town and Durban.

Heading the Ducati brand for VW is Tertius Cronje, who has 24 years of experience in the car and motorcycle retail business.

VW will offer finance plans for its range of Ducati motorcycles which include street, off-road and dual-purpose bikes. The line-up comprises the Desert X, Diavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Panigale, Streetfighter and Scrambler.

Speaking on Wednesday at the Volkswagen Indaba event at the company’s car factory in Kariega, Simphiwe Nghona, VWGA’s sales and marketing head, said: “Ducati is a premium international motorcycle brand with a strong and proud heritage. Over the years, it has built a loyal and passionate client base in SA which our company is excited about and looking forward to servicing from now on.

“We are confident that current and future Ducati clients will positively benefit from our established sales and after-sales processes, as well as our dealer network.”

He said the target to achieve a double-digit market share in SA by the end of 2026 will be boosted by a range of new models to be introduced over the next two years.

Ducati becomes the fourth brand in VWGA’s brand portfolio, which includes Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.