The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP-SA) invites the fleet industry to its first public event. The upcoming webinar will feature a live panel discussion tackling the forces reshaping fleet management in South Africa. This will be followed by the first Masterclass session in June.
South Africa’s fleet industry has long operated without a dedicated professional body to represent and develop the individuals who run it. The President of the AFP, Eugene Herbert, says: “The AFP-SA aims to change that as the country’s first association of its kind.
“The AFP-SA was established to professionalise fleet management and give its practitioners a recognised home. The intention is to transform the profession from one that fleet managers happen to find themselves in during their career as opposed to one that they develop their skills and strive for. Part of this, is hosting events that support further development of fleet professionals,” says Herbert.
At the upcoming event on 28 May 2026, the AFP will open the conversation with a structured dialogue on the pressures and possibilities facing the South African fleet sector right now. AFP: The conversation starts here is a virtual event that brings fleet professionals, fleet service providers, and industry experts together for the first time under a single platform.
The centrepiece of the event is a live panel discussion. “Three panellists of significant standing in the industry, will unpack the forces currently rewriting the industry. The discussion will touch on the sustained pressure of South Africa’s fuel crisis on operating costs.
“This is while considering how the market is being disrupted by Chinese-imported vehicles. The complex and unique South African realities of transitioning to new energy vehicles (NEVs) will be discussed as well,” says Herbert.
Herbert will moderate the panel which will include:
- Paulina Mamogobo, Chief Economist at naamsa
- Hideki (Dex) Machida, Automotive Sector Leader at KPMG
- Jacques Greeff, Chief Operations Officer at Optix Group
For those ready to go further, the webinar is also a gateway to ‘AFP Masterclass Series #1,’ taking place on 24 June 2026. This inaugural masterclass is the first in a monthly online series aligned to AFP’s 14-module curriculum.
The AFP-SA’s new General Manager, Nigel Webb will speak at the upcoming webinar and will host the Masterclass that follows. Webb says: “These events mark the beginning of something the industry has long needed. I anticipate welcoming fleet professionals to both events, and to building a community where fleet management is recognised and respected as a valuable profession.”
Together, the events represent something the South African fleet industry has not had before: a structured, professional space designed specifically for those who keep fleets moving. “The AFP’s arrival marks a meaningful shift, and these events offer a starting point. They are the beginning of a foundation for a community, and it is inviting the industry to help build it,” says Herbert.
Both events are independent and can be registered for separately. The conversation starts on 28 May. Register at
- https://masterdrive.eventpress.co.za/v3/public/e/afp-the-conversation-starts-here
- https://masterdrive.eventpress.co.za/v3/public/e/afp-masterclass-series-1
