SA’s Tiger Wheel & Tyre sold to Japanese investment giant Marubeni

South Africa’s pre-eminent household automotive brands, Tiger Wheel & Tyre and Tyres & More, are officially moving into Japanese ownership.

In a major cross-border transaction announced on 10 June 2026, Tokyo-listed global trading and investment conglomerate Marubeni Corporation signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the retail chains’ parent company, TiAuto Investments.

The high-profile exit by US investment firm Carlyle (advised locally by Alterra Capital Partners) and Old Mutual Private Equity (OMPE) concludes their decade-long partnership with the local automotive giant.

While a corporate spokesperson confirmed that an official agreement was struck to not publicly disclose the final acquisition amount, earlier market negotiations leaked by Bloomberg estimated the transaction value at approximately R2.6 billion.

From local favourite to Pan-African retail powerhouse

Tiger Wheel & Tyre has been a staple of South African motoring culture for nearly six decades. Founded in 1967, the brand has grown to become a ubiquitous presence on local roads.

When Carlyle and OMPE originally acquired the business from Ethos Private Equity in 2014, the retail network consisted of 104 stores.

Over the subsequent decade of private equity backing, the group expanded into a world-class pan-African platform, multiplying its footprint and broadening its consumer services to include specialised wheel repairs and quality used tyres.

Today, TiAuto Investments operates 161 retail outlets across five African countries, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, generating a massive annual combined group and franchisee turnover of circa R4.5 billion.

Read: Insights into SA’s evolving automotive landscape

Jacci Myburgh, co-head at Old Mutual Private Equity, characterised the successful exit as a clear victory for institutional, hands-on stewardship in the South African corporate landscape:  “The management team’s focus on service and operational discipline has set new benchmarks in the industry, and we are confident that Marubeni’s acquisition marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter not only for the business, but also for the sector.”

For the 168-year-old Tokyo-based Marubeni Corporation, the acquisition represents its first direct entry into the African automotive maintenance economy.

Marubeni is a global company with extensive international expertise in the automotive sector, currently owning B-Quik, a prominent car maintenance and tyre retail chain operating across Thailand and Indonesia.

In Southern Africa, the Japanese conglomerate already maintains a footprint as a minority shareholder in the Phillips Pharma Group, which imports and distributes medical devices and pharmaceuticals across the region.

Alex Taplin, CEO of TiAuto Investments, noted that combining Tiger Wheel & Tyre’s deep local heritage with Marubeni’s global operational infrastructure will unlock unprecedented scale:  “This is a significant milestone for TiAuto.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with Marubeni, one of the leading trading firms in Japan with significant experience in the tyre retail sector in Asia. This partnership will help us reach our goal of growing our presence significantly across Africa,” Taplin said.

Read: New threat to SA’s waning automotive manufacturing strength

What this means for SA motorists and suppliers

With the transaction now heading to competition authorities for customary regulatory approvals, local consumers and franchise owners have been assured that it remains “business as usual”.

Management confirmed that the group’s highly recognisable local branding, daily store operations, supplier networks, and corporate employment structures will remain fully intact.

The primary shift moving forward will purely be TiAuto’s ability to leverage international best practices and additional capital resources to accelerate its store rollout across the continent.

Eric Kump, managing director at Alterra Capital Partners, expressed strong optimism for the future of the local workforce under the new ownership framework: “TiAuto is a world-class Southern African company, and we are pleased that Marubeni is investing to make it a pan-African champion and to continue the commitment we made to creating jobs during our holding period.”

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