BNC#7 Faan & Dirk vd Walt: From backyard startup to Billion-Rand empire – The WeBuyCars story
At the seventh BizNews Conference BNC#7, WeBuyCars CEO Faan van der Walt shared the remarkable journey of how he and his brother Dirk turned a small backyard car-trading venture into a multi-billion-rand powerhouse. With no business plan and plenty of hard lessons, they navigated the challenges of scaling, digitalization, and market disruptions. Van der Walt's keynote offered an inside look at the principles, persistence, and pivotal moments that built one of South Africa's most successful automotive businesses.
In a Q&A session with Bronwyn Nielsen, Faan van der Walt was joined by WeBuyCars co-founder Dirk van der Walt and they delved deeper into the company's culture, marketing strategy, and challenges of operating in South Africa's tough economic climate. They shared insights on leadership, recruitment, and the transition from a startup to a listed powerhouse. The session also covered the evolution of instant payments, their approach to growth without business plans, and the art of managing risk in a fast-moving industry.
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We apologise that the picture quality in this recording appears dim and grainy. The venue lights were turned down to accommodate for the visibility of the speaker's slideshow presentation and as a result lighting conditions were not optimal for filming. Know that our team did their best to bring as much light and clarity back into the video during post-production. We thank you for your understanding and hope you enjoy the video!
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