Johannesburg, South Africa — 18 December 2025 - GAC Motor South Africa, a driver of South African automotive innovation, was the official vehicle partner at this year’s lauded South African Music Awards (SAMAs), providing range-topping mobility solutions to South Africa’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards.
Established in 1995, shortly after the birth of South Africa’s democracy, these landmark awards have served as the country’s premier music showcase, organised by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) to recognise excellence across more than 30 categories, including Amapiano, Hip Hop, Jazz and Traditional Faith. With the Grammys in mind, local winners receive gold-plated statuettes which remain the highest honour in the South African recording industry.
This year’s 31st edition was themed "Flowers for Those Who Keep Our Nation Singing," focusing on honouring both artistic legacies alongside the fans who sustain the industry. Major winners at SAMA31 include icons like Thandiswa Mazwai (the night’s most decorated artist), rising stars like Goldmax (Male Artist of the Year) and Mthandeni SK (Record of the Year), along with Black Motion (Duo of the Year). The Lifetime Achievement Recipient award went to Solly Moholo, an industry icon in his own right.
“Like the prominence of the SAMAs, the GAC flagship M8 is a fitting tribute to an awards celebration of this nature and was a natural choice to showcase at the glittering gala evening,” says Leslie Ramsoomar, Managing Director of Salvador Caetano South Africa. “As the nation’s first Plug-in Hybrid Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the M8 is a masterpiece of performance, innovation and intelligent luxury, captivating audiences on the evening with its striking showcase of GAC design prowess, matched to electric innovation”.
Alongside the commanding M8, guests were shuttled all through the night in the GAC Emzoom and Emkoo SUV ranges, with many VIPs commenting about the ensconced nature of these premium SUVs, thanks to especially quiet cabins and surprisingly spacious interior dimensions.
“There were lots of winners and surprises as SAMA31 dropped, and it’s been a memorable event that will go down in history,” mentions SAMA31 spokesperson Unati Gwija. “History was made, legends were born, and the South African music scene is still reeling. We thank GAC for the strategic mobility partnership and the fleet of striking vehicles, which we believe were the perfect fit for the SAMAs this year. We look forward to growing and showcasing this relationship in years to come, through exciting future GAC products and future SAMA plans”.
As the fifth largest automotive retailer in China, the GAC Group operates three cutting-edge production facilities, backed by six global research and development centres. GAC Motor’s investments in South Africa, backed by the global Salvador Caetano group, is focused on delivering world-class vehicles and leading industry standards in customer service, product reliability, and technological advancements.
With 28 dealerships already in operation and plans to grow to 40 by 2026, GAC Motor is making significant investments to ensure customers across the country have access to its vehicles, as well as comprehensive aftersales service and support.
“As the SAMA curtain closes, we can confirm that we are embarking on a very exciting growth phase for GAC Motor in South Africa,” concludes Brian Smith, Marketing Director of GAC Motor South Africa. “The developments planned for 2026 reflect our long-term commitment to the market and to offering South Africans more choice in advanced, reliable mobility, thanks to offerings like our Lifetime Warranty and our competitive price positioning. As they say, the show will go on in 2026!”
