Old Mutual Insure geared up to power forward prestigious car competition

Old Mutual Insure is the new headline sponsor of the 2022/2023 South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition, in association with the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ), the founders and custodians of this prestigious car competition.

“Old Mutual Insure is pleased to power COTY, an impactful competition that has not only rewarded excellence but also raised automotive benchmarks over the years. Quality and innovation in the motoring world would ultimately also benefit non-life (short-term insurance) customers as safer vehicles, for instance, would likely lead to fewer vehicle accidents, hi-jackings and theft. The indirect benefit to our customers is one of the key aspects that attracted us to come on board as headline sponsor,” says Garth Napier, MD of Old Mutual Insure.

He adds that COTY has become a much-loved calendar highlight for the public and vehicle manufacturers alike. “The automotive market has changed drastically in recent years following Covid-19. Supply chain disruptions have seen the demand for new and used vehicles skyrocket, and insurers like ourselves are finding new ways to help customers remain adequately insured. The usual trends no longer apply, and this is impacting customers, as well as insurers,” explains Napier. “Against this backdrop, we love that COTY adds real value to consumers’ lives – just like we aim to do – as it helps them make better decisions, guided by insights and experienced professionals in an ever-increasingly complex and competitive landscape,” says Napier.

Old Mutual Insure has been committed to supporting customers for more than 177 years. As one of the leading companies in Southern Africa’s non-life insurance landscape, the company is justifiably proud of its tradition of service and quality, as well as its range of insurance solutions. In much the same way, COTY has an equally proud heritage of awarding automotive excellence since its inception in 1986.

Mabuyane Mabuza, Chairperson of 2023 COTY and interim Vice-Chairperson of the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists, says: “Through our partnership with Old Mutual Insure, we hope to explore several ways to collaborate, from consumer education to road safety. We aim to create a lasting symbiotic relationship.”

“Transformation is also a top priority for both brands, and we are proud that the COTY committee, which includes distinguished motoring journalists like Lerato Matebese, Thami Masemola, Jason Woosey, and Brenwin Naidu, is the most diverse in the history of the competition. All members have extensive experience as COTY jurors and are geared to evaluate an impressive selection of vehicles, including a record number of electric and hybrid vehicles,” added Mabuza.

The COTY committee will soon review vehicles launched in South Africa between 1 January 2022 and 31 October 2022 to determine if they meet the requirements to participate. For example, vehicles with more cosmetic than mechanical updates will not qualify. SAGMJ members will then select the official 2023 COTY semi-finalists via a dedicated COTY online voting platform.

The final round of online voting will determine the finalists that the jurors will look at. The final evaluation and comprehensive scoring process includes categories like design, practicality, engineering, powertrain, ride and handling, technology, safety, and more. Three automated scores will be added to the juror scores - vehicle sales, segment share, and overall price competitiveness - in relation to direct competitors based on extensive data provided by Lightstone, an expert source of market intelligence in the South African motor industry. This will conclude the scoring process.

Old Mutual Insure, in partnership with COTY, will announce the 2023 car of the year around mid-2023.