Mercedes-Benz South Africa Announces Executive Leadership Change

Image: courtesy of motorpress

• Andreas Brand has resigned from his position as Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz South Africa Limited (MBSA Limited), effective May 31, 2026.

• He is transitioning to Mercedes‑Benz AG in Stuttgart, Germany, where he will assume the role of Head of Supply Chain Management.

• A successor to Andreas Brand will be communicated by MBSA Limited in due course.

  
  

Pretoria - Mercedes-Benz South Africa Limited (MBSA Limited) announces the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer, Andreas Brand, effective 31 May 2026. Andreas resigns to take up a new assignment at Mercedes-Benz AG as the Head of Supply Chain Management for Global Customer Services and Parts (GCSP), in Stuttgart, Germany. 

Andreas joined Mercedes-Benz in 1997 in Rastatt, Germany. After holding various positions in planning and production in Germany and abroad, he took over the management of the press shop and body shop in Kecskemét during the initial plant construction and launch, a foundational experience in establishing new global production facilities. Starting in 2013,

Andreas led the “painted body” department in the Factory One in Sindelfingen, later becoming Chief Engineer Production for the Global Compact Car Platform, and subsequently became responsible for “integrated program planning”, where he demonstrated exceptional resilience and strategic foresight in navigating the challenges in times of the Covid and semiconductor crisis.

From 2022 – 2025, Andreas served at the helm of MBSA Limited as CEO and Executive Director: Manufacturing. During his tenure at MBSA Limited, Andreas successfully spearheaded the direction of the East London manufacturing plant by continuing with its manufacturing excellence, significantly strengthening the global production capability and ensuring the continued operational performance at the East London plant, an award‑winning manufacturing site critical to Mercedes‑Benz’s global C‑Class output. In December 2025, Andreas assumed the role of Head of CKD and Mid Volume Production, concurrent to his responsibilities as CEO of MBSA Limited.

Commenting on the executive personnel change, Chairman on the MBSA Limited Board, Mr. Wilfried Porth said: “On behalf of the Board, we extend our sincere appreciation to Andreas for his outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment throughout his tenure. Under his guidance, MBSA Limited maintained strong strategic continuity, safeguarded operational stability across our manufacturing operations, and strengthened our competitiveness both within the Mercedes‑Benz AG global production network and in the premium vehicle market. His contributions have been instrumental in reinforcing the East London plant’s role as a world‑class manufacturing site and a key asset in our global C‑Class value chain. We thank Andreas for his transformative impact and wish him continued success in his new role.”

MBSA Limited remains steadfast in its commitment to strategic excellence and continued leadership in the premium vehicle market. A successor to Andreas Brand will be communicated in due course.