SANI eases rental pain points

SANI SIXT has added an important product for South African travellers with its Zero Holding Deposit offering, a digital vehicle check-out process and a fleet designed to cater for a broad range of leisure and corporate travel needs. The Zero Holding Deposit product was introduced in response to a common pain point in the car rental process – having a large amount of money held as a security deposit for the duration of the rental, Halema Sahib, Head of Marketing at SANI SIXT, tells Travel News. According to Sahib, the product has been well received and is intended to make the rental process simpler, more transparent and accessible. The launch forms part of the company’s broader strategy to differentiate itself through customer experience and innovation. At the same time, the operator has introduced a digital check-out experience aimed at making vehicle collection quicker and providing greater transparency around the condition of rental vehicles. The process digitally documents the condition of the vehicle at the beginning of the rental, including evidence of any existing damage. This provides a record that can be referenced by both SANI SIXT and the customer when the vehicle is returned. “For customers, this means a quicker, more seamless collection experience with greater peace of mind,” she says. “For agents and travel partners it supports a more efficient handover process with less administration and paperwork.” Options SANI SIXT continues to strengthen its fleet across mainstream economy and premium categories. The fleet spans economical city and compact cars, SUVs, premium vehicles, bakkies and people carriers, providing options for different traveller profiles. For families and larger groups, its people-carrier range includes the Hyundai Staria, accommodating up to eight passengers, along with the Toyota Quantum 11-seater and Toyota HiAce 14-seater. “The automatic Hyundai Staria offers additional luggage capacity and is suited to family travel and airport transfers, while the Quantum and HiAce cater for larger families, tour groups and corporate teams,” adds Sahib. Travellers wanting additional luggage space can choose from SUVs including the Toyota Fortuner, BMW X3, BMW X5 and Toyota Land Cruiser 300. These offer large luggage spaces and are suited to longer road trips and varying driving conditions. Corporate travellers are catered for with options ranging from practical vehicles such as the VW Polo Sedan to premium models including the BMW 3 Series, X1 and X2, Mercedes-Benz C200 and Mercedes-Benz C220d AMG Line. “Ultimately, our objective is to ensure that whether a customer is travelling alone, with the family, as part of a tour group or on business, there is a SANI SIXT vehicle that matches the purpose of the journey, without compromising on comfort, choice or the experience,” says Sahib.