After more than 20 years of
managing the Budget car and
van rental franchise in South
Africa, Bidvest will cut ties with
the Avis Budget Group (ABG),
as of February 28. The vehicle
hire business will be rebranded
and trade as Bidvest Car Rental.
The existing infrastructure,
management and team will remain
unaffected following this decision.
Bidvest’s agreement with ABG,
which is headquartered in the
US, expired on January 23 and a
separation agreement has been
concluded to ensure a smooth
transition through to the end of
February.
Bidvest South Africa’s ce, Lindsay
Ralphs, said: “The separation
discussions have followed in
the spirit of our long-standing
relationship and both parties
are fully committed to ensuring
no disruption to customers and
partners alike. Over the coming
month, Bidvest will embark on the
launch of Bidvest Car Rental, a
truly and ‘Proudly South African’
domestic car and van rental
business.”
This means there was now an
opportunity for another candidate
to take up the Budget licence and
brand, a source told TNW.
The Avis Budget Group is a global
provider of vehicle rental services,
both through its Avis and Budget
brands. It owns and operates most
Avis and Budget car-rental offices
in North America, Europe and
Australia, and operates primarily
through licensees in other parts of
the world.
