MOVING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
“WHERE shall we go and what shall we do when we get there?” That’s the basic premise behind every adventure we go on.
This question is usually followed by a flurry of ideas, most of which sound good in your mind, but less so when spoken out loud.
“What about Putsonderwater?”
Cue the signature sound of buttons clacking away furiously as an investigation into Putsonderwater starts.
“There doesn’t appear to be much there,” is the response. “The last update we found dates back to 2017 and that report suggests it is a ghost town.”
“Well, the last time I was there they were building stuff,” said another colleague.
Interesting.
If Putsonderwater was indeed in the midst of a renaissance, we wanted to get there first and enjoy the results before thousands of bearded vapers descended on the town.
An old run-down ghost town turned funky also provided the perfect analogy for the car we’d be using: the Mahindra XUV 300.
In 2004, things looked bleak for Mahindra South Africa. Its main drawcard was the Bolero, which remains on sale to this day. It’s a sad-looking workhorse with little in the way of comfort and safety but somehow it managed to outlast a tough, brand-loyal market, as well as an onslaught of obscure Chinese imports that have since left the country.
The Bolero would eventually build a loyal following, while Mahindra continued to bolster the brand by introducing a series of successful products. The continued investment in South Africa would eventually lead to an assembly plant in Durban. This small assembly line is capable of churning out 4 000 Pik Ups per year.
It didn’t happen overnight but the hard work eventually paid off. In January this year, Mahindra sold 644 vehicles in South Africa. It’s on the verge of breaking into the top 10 club and if that doesn’t impress you, maybe we should mention
