ChrisnelSA Outlook for 2026

As we look ahead to 2026, ChrisnelSA does so with a grounded yet positive outlook. The past year tested the resilience of the global and South African automotive industry, with economic pressures, shifting supply chains, and accelerated technological change reshaping how businesses operate. Having successfully navigated this uncertainty, we enter 2026 not only intact but sharpened clear on our purpose and confident in our role within a transforming industry.

Quality as the Backbone of Sustainable Growth

Sticking to our backbone remains central to our outlook: Quality builds an economy. Now more than ever, strong quality implementation is not optional, it is essential. In an environment where margins are tight and technology is advancing rapidly; quality systems are the difference between sustainability and stagnation. ChrisnelSA will continue to stand as a Quality Specialist provider, ensuring that systems, skills, and standards are implemented correctly, consistently, and to international benchmarks. Quality is not a department; it is the foundation upon which competitive industries are built.

Change Is No Longer Coming It Is Here
The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental shift. What once felt like a distant future has now arrived. Electrification, hybridization, and digital systems are becoming mainstream realities. While South Africa and Africa at large are not short of potential, we must move decisively from research and planning to structured, sustainable implementation.

ChrisnelSA believes that Africa’s competitiveness lies not only in adopting new technologies, but in building the skills, quality systems, and governance frameworks that allow these technologies to thrive locally.

Leading the New Energy Vehicle Transition

ChrisnelSA’s early decision to establish the first New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Training Centre in Africa reflects our belief that South Africa and the continent have a meaningful role to play in the global automotive transition. This belief is further strengthened by the upcoming NEV-supported training centre within the AIDC Automotive Supplier Park, which positions ChrisnelSA at the heart of industry, manufacturing, and skills development.

Our approach has always been deliberate and quality driven. We follow due process to ensure that every programme we offer meets international standards earning ChrisnelSA accreditation by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) as the first EV/HEV/PHEV training centre of its kind in Africa. This recognition reinforces our position as a provider of internationally backed NEV training, while simultaneously supporting the development of locally relevant curriculum tailored to African market realities.

Market data confirms that hybrid vehicles currently dominate New Energy Vehicle sales in South Africa. As such, our outlook is pragmatic: hybrids are likely to define the medium-term future of the South African automotive market, and ChrisnelSA will continue aligning training, quality systems, and technical competence to this reality.

Our Mission for 2026

In 2026, ChrisnelSA is focused on the following priorities:

• To strengthen our position as the standard for NEV training across OEMs and partners.
  Building on the success of our 2025 programmes, we will continue delivering internationally recognised, high-quality EV and hybrid training across South Africa and Africa.
• To be trusted as the leading Quality Specialist in the Automotive Industry.
  With decades of industry experience and global exposure, we aim to further entrench ourselves as trusted custodians of quality across systems, processes, and people.
• To ensure our Quality Training creates real impact.
  Quality must be lived, not learned in theory. We will continue developing Quality Ambassadors who understand that quality is the backbone of every successful operation.
• To deepen community and stakeholder partnerships.
  As our reach expands, so too does our responsibility. By building meaningful partnerships, we aim to accelerate critical skills development and prepare the region for the rise of green mobility.

Looking Forward

As we close, we extend our best wishes to all our employees, partners, stakeholders, and the wider community across our work-based platforms and social media for a successful and progressive 2026.

“ChrisnelSA chooses adaptation, quality, and progress.”

Nelson Bassog.