FIRST CAR RENTAL AND SIXT SEPARATION
First terminated the agreement with Sixt
eff 01 Oct 2024 First will not be servicing Sixt's business
• Proudly First • Proudly South African • Forging Ahead to a more Streamlined Service Offering • First in Growth, Efficiency & Service
Over the next few months, customers visiting First Car Rental branches in South Africa and beyond, will notice some changes to our signage and branding as we commence the move towards an even more proudly South African car rental experience.
As of 1 October 2024, customers will no longer see dual-branded First/Sixt signage at our branches, as we take sole prominence at all outlets. This is as a result of a decision by First Car Rental to amicably end the long-standing service agreement between the two parties.
Melissa Nortje, Head of Development, Strategy & Marketing says: “It’s never easy ending such a long-standing partnership but ultimately Sixt represented only a fraction of our overall business by facilitating some inbound volume to South Africa via a few source markets. At the end of the day First Executive Management team agreed that the Sixt brand presence at branches contributed to market confusion and inadvertently diluted our own local First brand. This coupled with our strategy of agility and speed of decision making will enable us to solidify our standing further in the South African market and beyond. We do wish Sixt all of the best for the future and thank them for partnering with First all these years.”
First Car Rental’s goal has always been to offer customers a seamless and exceptional service experience, and this move away from the complexity of managing the service agreement will enable us to focus even more on delivering that promise.
Additionally, we see this as an exciting opportunity to further embrace being the largest homegrown and proudly South African rental company; and having just celebrated our 25th anniversary, it’s a pivotal time to be proudly First.
Our 500 staff, 50 branches, 9000 cars and the systems that drive our business are the result of strong organic growth over the years and local investment. So, you can expect the same smiles, the same speedy check-outs and the same nationwide convenience. Our fleet strategy will also remain the same, offering customers a wide choice of new-model vehicles, from economy to luxury and everything in between.
We look forward to welcoming you with #purplepride #purplepassion and a promise to always remain First in Service.