Pieter Senekal, Managing Director of Spes Bona Motor Company has always had a zeal for business and his relentless efforts and a passion for the motor vehicle industry have led to expansion of the business at a high rate.
Since 2003 Spes Bona has opened up a second pre-owned vehicle branch, introduced Auto Armor and VPS to the market, as well as opening a Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealership. The newest venture is a car rental company that will be called Spes Bona Rent A Car with 8 March 2008 as a launch date at the Spes Bona fun day. This supplement will showcase the different companies under Spes Bona name with a brief history on the establishment and growth of the business since 1975.Â
Pieter's father Jan Senekal was employed as sales manager for Terry's Motors who sold up to 120 used cars per month and was one of the largest motoring groups at the time. As with most new businesses launching, Jan did not have a huge amount of starting capital and when he opened up the first branch of Spes Bona Motors opposite Windhoek Municipality in today's Independence Avenue, he only had five cars to sell.Â
In 1983, Spes Bona Motors moved to their own premises in Independence Avenue, where you'll find their Platinum Select division today. In 1988, after appointing a manager to run the Windhoek branch the Senekals expanded the operation with a dealership in Mosselbay. At 16 years of age Pieter also started helping out at the dealership during his holidays and spare time and then decided to work at Spes Bona full time in 1991. This led to the opening of a 2nd branch in Mosselbay in 1994, which Pieter ran.
Ten years after moving to Mosselbay (1998) the Senekals had reached a point where it was time to decide on the future of their Namibian branch and to this purpose Pieter traveled to Windhoek to evaluate the options.
However, true to his style, when he crossed into Namibia on his way up, his mind was already made up to make things work. Pieter resolved to turn Spes Bona into the very best used car dealership, and as they say, "the ball started rolling".
Asked, what makes him different, Pieter is quick to point out, that he doesn't see himself as being different. His point of view on business is that one needs to do something because you enjoy it, not just for the financial rewards. He rather views himself as one of very few people who enjoy what they do, his outlook being that everything in life is controlled by your attitude and your mindset.
Pieter still chuckles and says that a family friend who also owned a used car dealership visited the Spes Bona dealership and decided to lend the family cars on consignment to sell. Things weren't easy and everybody had to work hard to ensure the success of the dealership. Jan Senekal sold, serviced and repaired all vehicles and his wife Ina applied herself to a multitude of tasks starting from cleaning, book keeping to running all types of errands, both driven by the desire to build a future for themselves.
