South Africa joins global Right to Repair community at Automechanika Frankfurt

South Africa’s Right to Repair movement was represented on the global stage this month when representatives of Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA) and Right to Repair South Africa (R2RSA) joined automotive aftermarket organisations from across the world at the Right to Repair Global meeting at Automechanika Frankfurt.

MIWA National Director Pieter Niemand, National Chairman Dewald Ranft, Les McMaster, MIWA Central Region Committee member as well as Right to Repair CEO, Kate Elliott, accompanied by R2RSA Chairman, Gunther Schmitz represented South Africa at the international gathering, which brought together representatives from Europe, North and South

The Frankfurt meeting highlighted how the Right to Repair debate is evolving well beyond traditional access to mechanical repair information.

Delegates shared developments from their respective countries, ranging from awareness campaigns and coalition-building to legislative proposals, regulatory reviews and enforcement initiatives.

MIWA says its participation in the global meeting reinforces the value of South Africa having a voice in international Right to Repair discussions. While regulatory frameworks and market conditions differ from country to country, many of the challenges facing independent repairers are increasingly shared across borders.