Mahomed Sader joined Supertech Durban as financial manager at the age of 25 when they only had one dealership, one panel shop and 84 staff members. Today, they boast six dealerships, three panel shops and 450 employees including five CAs(SA) that Mahomed has developed and trained. Group revenues have grown in this period from R426 million to over R2,6 billion, and Mahomed has been instrumental in this growth strategy.
Mahomed attributes his success to his extreme attention to detail, being pedantic about doing things right the first time, being willing to put in the hours, and staying self-motivated and focused at all times.
‘I had incredible support from my parents in terms of my schooling and studies throughout my life, as well as a strict upbringing that kept me far away from any negative or bad influences, which I am very grateful for, says Mahomed, adding that he is a huge bookworm, which has added immense value.
‘I have been a bookworm from a very young age, both fiction and non-fiction, which I feel developed me from an emotional understanding point of view and gave me a wider view of the world and complex concepts. I also played discipline sports like golf and musketry from a young age, which taught me the value of patience and skill-building over time.’
He says at his core he is an introvert, but very few people would guess this about him nowadays unless they knew him well.
‘I am also a teacher at heart, as that is what I really enjoy. I am quite easy-going but can be tough when I feel it is needed. I do not swear under any circumstances – not once in the last 16 years.’
Mahomed was promoted to the Exco board in the role of CFO in late 2013 and to financial director a year later, at the age of 27. In 2015, BMW Newcastle joined the group. Mahomed was involved in all aspects of this and future acquisitions. Within two years, the dealership was turned around from being the lowest-ranked dealer in the country to winning the prestigious BMW National Dealer of the Year award.
In 2016 Supertech Pinetown was taken over from Bidvest McCarthy and not long after that, the local private BMW bike dealership was also absorbed into the operation. In 2017 the PMB & Shelly Beach BMW dealerships joined the growing group as well while 2019 saw the latest BMW dealership acquisition from a private owner in East London − the first dealership for the group outside KZN. Mahomed’s latest project that he ran start to finish is a new R160-million state-of-the-art flagship dealership in Pinetown which opened in 2019.
Mahomed has also led several other unique projects such as acquiring the coveted BMW ‘M’ high-performance and ‘i’ electric vehicle approvals, as well as rolling out the new BMW ‘future retail’ model across all dealers. In 2015 he also led a pilot project allowing Supertech Durban to become the first dealership in Africa to obtain a four-star Green Building Association accreditation for environmental sustainability.
The group runs several charitable projects each year, such as the Winter Warmth and Toy-drive campaigns, as well as local school feeding initiatives which have been very successful and are close to Mahomed’s heart.
His relationship with his family and friends, especially his two children who are everything to him, brings him fulfilment in life.