When the Essa brothers Baboo and Ossy started a fresh produce wholesaler in the 1970s, the rand was stronger than the dollar, a large watermelon sold for 10 cents and the latest thing – sliced white bread from a Durban bakery – sold for 16 cents a loaf in Pietermaritzburg. The brothers saw an opportunity to deliver sugar nationwide, which led to Metro Distributors in 1976. They had one small truck operating from 418 Berg Street, which soon grew to a fleet of trucks, now operating from Portland Road in Mkondeni. Metro Car Sales was established at the same time, operating on Metro Distributors site. Seven years later, the car sales business had grown big enough for the brothers to buy the now well-known site on the corner of Victoria and Boshoff Street. Needless to say, trading under the same name and under the same ownership for 45 years is a major accomplishment and one that can simply only be attributed to our loyal clients, dedicated staff together with the Essa brothers core principals of “ Honesty, Transparency & Integrity”.
When the Essa brothers Baboo and Ossy started a fresh produce wholesaler in the 1970s, the rand was stronger than the dollar, a large watermelon sold for 10 cents and the latest thing – sliced white bread from a Durban bakery – sold for 16 cents a loaf in Pietermaritzburg. The brothers saw an opportunity to deliver sugar nationwide, which led to Metro Distributors in 1976. They had one small truck operating from 418 Berg Street, which soon grew to a fleet of trucks, now operating from Portland Road in Mkondeni. Metro Car Sales was established at the same time, operating on Metro Distributors site. Seven years later, the car sales business had grown big enough for the brothers to buy the now well-known site on the corner of Victoria and Boshoff Street. Needless to say, trading under the same name and under the same ownership for 45 years is a major accomplishment and one that can simply only be attributed to our loyal clients, dedicated staff together with the Essa brothers core principals of “ Honesty, Transparency & Integrity”.
From managing a team of buyers in the major cities “in the years BC” (before computers), Ossy Essa, the “buying brother” at Metro Car Sales says he now pre-selects vehicles online. But he still goes out to physically inspect each selected car, bakkie or truck, subjecting the drivetrain, suspension, paintwork and interior to Metro’s 50-point checklist before deciding to buy or not. This requires a lot of driving, but Ossy said his life now is luxury compared to his younger trucking days, when the brothers had just started Metro and he had to deliver tons of sugar all over SA. “Back then I slept in the seat of the truck, waiting for the client to open after driving all night,” he
recalls. He said Metro’s 45th year coincided with one of the deepest shortages of quality used vehicles he had yet seen. “The economic devastation of lockdown led to a flood of repossessed or liquidated vehicles in the market, but these vehicles are often rubbish that do not meet my quality checks. He warned this shortage of good cars will lead to increases in median prices of used cars across SA.
Metro Cars Sales is a licensed financial services provider, (FSP license 5374) and approved by all the major banks. The Finance and Insurance team dedicates itself to advising customers on various pay-over-time options that are available. KYC – Knowing Your Client has become a major game changer in the motor industry. With this being said, every transaction is unique and every clients deal is tailor made to suit the client’s needs and wants. Clients are also enjoying competitive interest rates with the countries interest rate currently at an all time historic low. All this means is now is a very good time to finance your next car at Metro. Metro’s Finance Department ensures that each customer enjoys care free motoring!
Metro Cars Sales and M-Sure have been partners for the past 19 years, adding value to our customer’s mobility lifestyle. M-Sure together with Metro Car Sales off er a wide variety of crafted smart solutions to suit any vehicle and lifestyle and delivered with genuine personal care. Some of our M-Sure smart solutions include:
