There are numerous wheel and tyre companies in South Africa. The majority of these offer a similar service, but it is worth knowing what each offers before you set out to one of these establishments.
Tiger Wheel and Tyre is a well-established wheel and tyre provider in the South African market. They offer a range of quality branded wheels, such as the TSW range, Racing Hart Concepts, Turn 1 and TWT wheels. Their tyre range includes Continental, Yokohama, Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli, BF Goodrich and Velocity.
Tiger Wheel and Tyre offer the following services:
- Wheel alignment
- Balancing
- Fitment
- Rotation
- Punctuation and repairs
They also offer numerous additional options for your convenience:
- Xpress Credit – a credit card offering easy and affordable payment terms on any Tiger Wheel and Tyre service or product
- XSure – insurance against irreparable tyre damage on new and used tyres
- Nitrogen – nitrogen filled tyres, currently used on Formula One and military aircraft
- McGard wheel locks – ensures the safety of your wheels and tyres at all times.
Tiger Wheel and Tyre have also recently joined forces with Discovery for “DiscoveryDrive”, allowing responsible drivers to earn points through driving safely and having regular tyre and wheel safety checks. They place a high premium on customer service, with a drive towards making the customer’s experience fast, friendly and hassle-free.
Supaquick is another company which provides tyres and tyre services in South Africa. Supaquick has a slightly different focus to Tiger Wheel and Tyre, with their core business being “tyres, batteries, shocks, exhausts, wheel alignment and alloy wheels.” Supaquick was the first auto centre networks to be awarded the stringent AA Quality Assured status, meaning that as a customer, you are always assured of quality service.
Autoquip is the “flagship retail outlet for performance Bridgestone and Firestone tyres”. This tyre company has been closely associated with motor sport in South Africa over the last two decades, earning industry status through this involvement. Tyres offered by Autoquip include Bridgestone, Firestone, Continental, Khumo, Falken, Firenza, Michelin, BF Goodrich and Goodyear.
The company also offers a range of leading wheels, and further offers services such as suspension, alignment, balancing. They also offer Nitrogen filled tyres as do Tiger Wheel and Tyre.
There are also other smaller companies offering a similar service. The tyre and wheel market is a highly competitive market, and while it is not yet saturated in terms of number of players, there is not much differentiation in terms of the brands and services offered by each company.
One point of differentiation is offering the widest range of tyre and wheel brands, and ensuring enough stock of each type of tyre, so as to avoid having to send customers away. This means having a very large stock room and a strict inventory control procedure. Another point of differentiation is the service received, both by staff at the front desk and by the staff actually working on your car.
As this market becomes more and more competitive, companies will need to ensure that customers know what they stand form to avoid becoming lost in amongst the clutter of similar companies.