More women are driving bakkies!
Gone are the days of just boys holding onto the bakkie keys.
The demographic of the 1-ton bakkie driver is certainly changing in South Africa.
Women are integral to the automotive industry when it comes to consumer buying trends in general so it’s really exciting when we see that today more women are getting behind the wheel of actual bakkies themselves.
Fayma Govender from Randburg says being a petite female she often gets strange stares from other people on the road when they see her behind the wheel of a Ford Ranger 3.2 XLT 4×2. But that doesn’t seem to worry her. “The benefits of this vehicle are endless and I would highly recommend the Ford Ranger to female friends’ and family.”
The decision to buy the car was based on wanting more comfort and space, explains Govender. “Our family outgrew the space in our current vehicle and long-distance drives for holidays became uncomfortable. We needed a vehicle that was comfortable, versatile and non-restrictive in terms of space. We also required a vehicle that could provide us with the right safety. Hence our Ford Ranger purchase.”
The first bakkie she has owned, Govender says sometimes she feels as though she could travel the world in her Ranger. “We visit family often in Durban and driving there now is so comfortable. There is so much to love about this vehicle, from the comfort to the technology, and of course the actual drive.”
Like Govender, Corliza Cowley, a partner in and an Optometrist at Moffatt Optical Zululand from Richards Bay, would also recommend a Ford Ranger to other women in the market for new cars.
“Before I met my fiancé, I hadn’t driven a bakkie but he has two children and we live an outdoorsy lifestyle so that had to change” she explains.
As a couple with a penchant for riding bikes and rowing in their fishing Kayak, they decided on buying a Ford Ranger. “We also camp and ride Harley Davidson motorbikes and can now tow them on a trailer for long cruise rides to different destinations. The Ford Ranger is a “jack of all trades”, a vehicle that can basically do everything in relative luxury with all the mod-cons. It drives like a car and I loved the versatility. You can go up Sani Pass and go to a formal event in the same vehicle.”
Cowley says that people are still quite surprised to see a lady driving the bakkie and it makes her smile every time.
Motshedisi Motsieloa (MC) is a colour and style image consult with a successful bespoke men’s wear company who drives a sea-grey Ford Ranger WildTrak. For this entrepreneur, buying the vehicle was a no brainer. “As my business grew I started getting bigger orders, and when I went to deliver my goods, they could no longer fit in the current car, so we decided to get another car that would accommodate my growing business.
As her first bakkie, MC simply loves the tech of the car and how it makes her feel. “I love that I’m high up in the sky when I drive, I love the ease with which it moves and believe it or not I actually enjoy how challenged I am when I have to park it. My mind feels alive thereafter. There are mixed reactions from people when they see me in it, some are really impressed while some not. But oh, my dad loves it and is so proud of me.
Wendy Groenewald drives a Ford Ranger, white Automatic 2.2 TDCi XL with some serious extras like side steps, mud guards and a roll-bar. This is her first bakkie but she has already decided that her next one will be Auto XLT in the colour she wants and she won’t settle for anything else, says the executive assistant living in Gauteng
“I just love the rugged look of the Ranger, I wanted a vehicle that was more intimidating on the road, as I was tired of other cars cutting me off! That doesn’t seem to happen anymore” she muses.
Perfect for transporting her four big dogs and a horse, her daughter is a big fan of the Ranger too.
Tracy Bell, owner and manager of one of Johannesburg’s most popular pizza spots, Trabella, simply loves her Ford 2.2 in blue. “Seriously it’s the hottest one out there. It’s so intimidating, a mean machine! I love how high it is!! Us Ranger drivers look down on others” she laughs.
Having driven other bakkie brands, Tracy wouldn’t swop her Ford Ranger for anything else. “Besides getting me to and from work every day, I use it when purchasing all my stock for my pizzeria and it goes with me on any and every holiday too. What I love most about this bakkie is that others move out my way and I feel respected on the road. No one dares drive up my “you know what” in this baby.
Want to see what these ladies are on about? Visit your nearest Ford dealership to test drive the Ford Ranger.
Via: Ford South Africa