02 Oct Toyota 60

Since its establishment in November 1961, Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has become as much a part of local culture as the people who drive its vehicles. In fact, the story of Toyota in SA is intricately intertwined with the lives of many people across the demographic divides of our society. It is also no cliché that almost every South African has a Toyota story to tell. These include millions of individuals who travel by taxis (Toyota has 96% market share) to and from work, farming communities, people in mining as well as the construction industry – who have made Hilux their workhorse of choice. Then there’s Corolla, which is no doubt one of the country’s most popular family vehicles – spanning some five decades in production.

TSAM’s latest TV ad celebrates 60 years of Toyota in SA. It is a tribute to the brand’s loyal customer base as well as reaffirmation of the company’s commitment to the people of South Africa. The commercial features a number of significant Toyota milestones, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, motorsport, environmental as well as other community outreach programmes.

According to Vice President of Marketing at TSAM, Glenn Crompton: “Our approach to sustainable development is aligned to the Toyota Global CSR policy and guiding principles. We realise that we can play a positive role in the societies and environment in which we operate through contributing to the economic and social development, as well as working in harmony with nature.” In addition, Toyota continues to invest generously in the development of sport, arts and culture through a number of sponsorships in these disciplines.

FMM and its staff are no exception to utilising Toyota products over the years, and as a show of respect for the brand, the museum recently gathered a collection of Toyotas owned by the museum and some of its staff for a photoshoot in the quadrangle in the centre of the display halls. As the Toyota’s old ad jingle used to proclaim, ‘Everything keeps going right…’