Life begins at 40 for Budget Car Rental in SA
12. Nov, 2008
4 Comments
Johannesburg – Budget Car Rental this year celebrates 40 years of service excellence to the South African travel and trade industry, marking its growth from a two-car, garage-operated outfit to one of South Africa’s biggest car and van rental systems with an average fleet of 9 200 vehicles and an operational footprint that not only spans South Africa but Namibia and Botswana as well.
The business has its roots in a car rental company in Durban called Kenley Car Hire, started by Ken and Pam Levy in 1968. In the same year, the Levys purchased the Budget franchise rights for South Africa and started trading under the Budget brand. The business grew rapidly and spread to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth. It was acquired by McCarthy Motor Holdings in 1992, which in turn was bought by the Bidvest Group in November 2005.
Budget Car Rental managing director Ray Booth says the company’s longevity, in what is and always has been a fiercely competitive industry, is a tribute to the resilience of its business philosophy, which includes a fanatical focus on service excellence. “Our mission is to become the car rental company of choice for our customers and stakeholders.” This, he says, is not limited to simply supplying the right vehicle in the right condition at the right place but to try and make travelling as hassle-free as possible by giving its customers the most efficient and friendliest service. “The fact that we’ve been around for 40 years in South Africa is indicative of our ability to consistently live up to this mission.”
The company’s birthday coincides with the 50th anniversary of the global Budget brand. The business was founded in a storefront in downtown Los Angeles in 1958 by Morris Milkin who, instead of targeting the business traveller at the airport, offered car rentals at significantly discounted rates to the private renter and families without their own transport.
He chose the name “Budget” because it reflected his own shoe-string budget and because he thought it would attract the budget-minded renter. Shortly afterwards, Budget Car Rental began a programme of rapid franchise expansion into airport locations, where Budget showed it could compete effectively with the larger car rental companies.
Today, Budget Car Rental has grown to become the world’s third largest car and van rental system. Worldwide, Budget employs approximately 16 000 people and operates an average fleet of over 150 000 cars and vans from more than 3 000 locations, including more than 800 airport locations, in over 120 countries.
Budget Car and Van Rental Southern Africa receives its 40-year long service award from its licensor Budget Rent A Car Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Seen here from left to right are Ray Booth (MD Southern Africa), Olivier Van Marcke (Budget Rent A Car EMEA licensee development director), Paulette Scrooby (Budget Southern Africa operations director), Linda Lombard (Budget Southern Africa sales and marketing director), Pascal Bazin (Budget Rent A Car EMEA group CEO), Renette van der Merwe (Budget Rent A Car KZN regional and customer relations manager) and John McNicholas (Budget Rent A Car EMEA vice-president group licensor).
My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
This was an interesting article. I learned a bit about Budget that I did not know. I am glad to see it is a success in South Africa. I don’t think it as much of a success in the UK or a London Heathrow (website link). I understand they are now owned by Avis.
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I enjoyed your blog. It's good that your company celebrates its 40 years of excellence in service..Congratulations!.