WeBuyCars plans mega motor showroom with Ticketpro Dome deal
Its purchase of the Ticketpro Dome from Sasol Pension Fund. will allow WeBuyCars to enlarge its footprint in Johannesburg, SA’s biggest second-hand car retailer said on Tuesday.
The Dome has operated for 23 years as an events and exhibition venue but it could not host any shows during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
WeBuyCars said the space is perfect for housing cars.
“Apart from cementing our presence in northern Johannesburg, we are confident this growth path will have a positive impact on the economy.
“We have always been proud of our roots and this next step in our expansion plan demonstrates our commitment to the SA car market, which has significant growth potential,” CEO Faan van der Walt said.
The Dome opened in April 1998 with a concert by Diana Ross that was attended by more than 15,000 people and included a special guest appearance by the late former president Nelson Mandela. It later hosted dozens of international musical stars including Pink, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Lauryn Hill, Celine Dion and Michael Bublé. Hundreds of local artists such as Prime Circle, The Parlotones, Lira, Black Coffee and the Soweto Gospel Choir have also graced its stage.
On the exhibition front, the Dome has been home to many consumer and trade shows such as Homemakers Fair, Rage, Mama Magic Baby Show, Fire and Feast Food Festival, Mediatech Africa and Africa Automation Technology Fair.
In 2017, the NBA Africa Games were held at the Dome and it has also staged WWE International and Disney on Ice.
The Dome was originally intended to be a permanent motor showroom, allowing people to view and test drive a variety of vehicle brands under one roof.
This did not materialise and it became a multipurpose entertainment venue instead , Van der Walt said. WeBuyCars is now “able to finally realise the original vision that was held for the Dome and develop it into one of the biggest second-hand car dealerships in the world”.
The Dome can store about 1,500 vehicles.
In 2020, it launched a hybrid studio in response to the global pandemic.
“Our sector has been extraordinarily innovative in transforming our offerings to accommodate online participation, but a hybrid event incurs two sets of costs, one for the online component and one for the in-venue aspect. Attendance capacity restrictions make inperson events unviable, and online does not carry the same appeal,” says Projeni Pather, chair of the Association of African Exhibition Organisers.
WeBuyCars, which is partly owned by JSE-listed Transaction Capital, has eight branches nationally, of which four are in Gauteng. The newest branch, in Germiston, was launched in June 2021.
THE ORIGINAL VISION WAS [TO] DEVELOP IT INTO ONE OF THE WORLD ’ S BIGGEST SECOND-HAND CAR DEALERSHIPS