Pantsi now at helm of Audi Polokwane

A keen strategist with a vision for the future, the recently appointed Dealer Principal at Audi Polokwane, Thembinkosi Pantsi is a breath of fresh air in the local motoring industry.
Pantsi is not afraid of hard work and tells of his youth on a farm near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape and how he worked as a cleaner in a restaurant after obtaining a diploma in Mechanical Engineering as a young man.
He started working at a consultancy firm as engineering consultant in 2003 after which he decided to turn his hand to retail and accepted a job as Sales Executive at a motor dealership in Cape Town. “I worked my way up from Sales Executive to Sales Manager and then Dealer Principal before I decided to hone my skills as Business Consultant in the motoring industry,” he says.
Pantsi’s time as Business Consultant gave him the opportunity to work as strategist and he learned a lot about planning, executing plans, monitoring progress and evaluating the results. Soon, however, the retail side of the industry called to him again and the 36-year-old stepped up to the plate as Dealer Principal of Audi Polokwane.
Asked why he decided to move back to retail, Pantsi said it was in his blood. “I am about people and providing each customer with a signature customer experience. It is my dream to make the motoring industry a professional one and with my background in business development I believe I have the necessary skills to turn the industry on its head by implementing business strategies and control measures in the retail space.”
Pantsi is passionate about offering each customer an experience that makes them feel like the premium brand customers that they are.
“Our strategy is to be professional and to listen to the customer. I believe that a series of small changes in the way we do things will yield big results,” he explains.
The father of two daughters, six and 13-years-old, is excited about his position in Polokwane. Referring to the new show room, he says that it is heart-warming to see that Audi is investing in the city and sees a bright future for the brand and the economy in Limpopo.
His goals are to establish Audi as premium brand of choice in Limpopo within the next 18 months, to grow the dealership’s clientele and with it create more jobs, and offer the best customer service in the world as part of Audi’s 2020 vision.
“We all have the power to make a difference. The economy is not centred in government or some investor service abroad, it is in the hands of the people. It is up to us to work together to attract investment and heal the economy,” Pantsi concludes.

Story and photo: MARKI FRANKEN
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