1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Cars and TransportationSouth Africa

Why do South Africans hold onto their Mercedes?

Taurai Maduna | Frank Lukeit
May 20, 2026

Domestically made Mercs are prized in South Africa. Workers at the Mercedes plant in East London even made one for Nelson Mandela on their own time. Older models are repaired and driven often. Meet fans and their cars.

https://p.dw.com/p/5E3J7

In South Africa, Mercedes-Benz is far more than the name of a luxury car brand. It's intrinsically linked to the country's industrial heritage, the dreams of the middle class and collector culture. Keyan Valkhoff and his daughter Bella are better known to Mercedes enthusiasts as "The Old Merc Guy" and "BelBenz". Both help to maintain and restore classic Mercedes-Benz models made between 1975 and 1995 — not only for South Africans, but for drivers and collectors from around the world. We pay the Valkhoffs a visit, and catch up with Mercedes W123 owners who drive their classic cars from the Cape to Cairo.