BNC#7 Faan & Dirk vd Walt: From backyard startup to Billion-Rand empire - The WeBuyCars story

Loading player...
At the seventh BizNews Conference BNC#7, WeBuyCars CEO Faan van der Walt shared the remarkable journey of how he and his brother Dirk turned a small backyard car-trading venture into a multi-billion-rand powerhouse. With no business plan and plenty of hard lessons, they navigated the challenges of scaling, digitalization, and market disruptions. Van der Walt’s keynote offered an inside look at the principles, persistence, and pivotal moments that built one of South Africa’s most successful automotive businesses.

In a Q&A session with Bronwyn Nielsen, Faan van der Walt was joined by WeBuyCars co-founder Dirk van der Walt and they delved deeper into the company's culture, marketing strategy, and challenges of operating in South Africa’s tough economic climate. They shared insights on leadership, recruitment, and the transition from a startup to a listed powerhouse. The session also covered the evolution of instant payments, their approach to growth without business plans, and the art of managing risk in a fast-moving industry.
25 Mar 2025 12AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

Corné Mulder says SA could have a new government before 2029

South Africa just joined a short and unflattering list of countries facing individual US visa restrictions, and Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder says he saw it coming from a manifesto launch stage days before it happened. He tells Alec Hogg why he thinks Cyril Ramaphosa's habit of avoiding decisions…
17 Sep 10AM 28 min

GG Alcock says SA's R1-trillion "informal" economy is anything but

South Africa's townships are not a side economy. According to GG Alcock, author of the Kasinomics book series, they're a trillion-rand-plus market that the country's biggest listed companies are already quietly fighting over, from Shoprite's cash-and-carry pivot to Capitec's entrepreneur accounts to Pepkor's handset financing. Alcock, who grew up in…
17 Sep 7AM 49 min

Solly Moeng: BOTH Cyril AND Mashatile are too ill to run the country

In their latest weekly chat, Chris Steyn and Political Commentator Solly Moeng talk about both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President Paul Mashatile having been declared unfit - because they are too ill - to perform official duties; the US the visa restrictions for certain - still unamed -government officials;…
17 Sep 6AM 16 min