Fixing Ford SA

Casper Kruger, managing director of Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa, has a tough task: he needs to rebuild the public’s trust in the brand in the wake of the Kuga crisis.

- Glenda Williams

It’s not every day that the managing director of a leading global brand escorts you from reception to his office. That in itself is an indication of the hands-on and less guarded leadership style of Casper Kruger, managing director of Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa (FMCSA).

The blue oval belonging to the US-based car manufacturer is one of the most recognised logos in the world. But it’s rare for Ford to look to non Americans to lead regional businesses. So a local being appointed to head up the brand’s South African and sub-Saharan business operations is something of a coup.

Kruger, an academic turned motor industry specialist, was lured from his position as a vice president at Toyota South Africa to take over from Jeff Nemeth in April 2017.

At the time, Ford was still reeling from the Kuga engine fire crisis and a recall affecting 4 557 cars.

“The opportunity to run the third-largest car manufacturer in the country was too big to say no to. It was a fantastic and unique opportunity. Opportunities like that don’t come around every day,” Kruger explains.

The Kuga disaster hurt Ford’s market share, with Kuga sales dropping from around 300 a month to about 100. Ford’s total market share fell from 13.2% in 2016 to 12.8% in 2017, with the popularity of the Ford Ranger helping to soften the blow.