Naidu is one of four South Africans to serve on the prestigious judging panel of the organisation. Other automotive journalists include Hannes Oosthuizen (Cars.co.za), Charleen Clarke (freelancer) and Lerato Matebese (Driven).
Inaugurated in 2003 and officially launched in 2004, the World Car Awards is a non-profit organisation designed to acknowledge and celebrate new standards across the spectrum of new passenger vehicles – with the overall World Car of the Year title being the most coveted in the suite of accolades.
According to the 2020 media report by leading research and analysis firm Cision Insights, it is the number one awards programme of its kind, a plaudit it has held for the last eight consecutive years.
Naidu is currently the section editor for the Sowetan Motoring and Sunday Times Lifestyle Motoring titles and is a familiar face as a contributor to Ignition GT, the flagship magazine show of Ignition TV on DStv Channel 189. He has served on the judging panel of the Cars.co.za Awards and is a full member of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ). In 2017, Naidu was the recipient of the coveted Bridgestone Steve Dlamini Award for Excellence in Motoring Journalism.
“I am grateful for the vote of confidence from the Executive Committee Director and Steering Committee of World Car Awards, the opportunity to contribute at the very pinnacle of automotive excellence awards initiatives is a true honour,” says Naidu.
“South Africa deserves representation on the global stage. It is worth remembering that as many as nine of the biggest carmakers in the world have well-established manufacturing and assembly facilities on local soil, catering to markets on the African continent and beyond.”
“Our relevance is also evidenced in the sheer breadth and diversity of the new vehicle market, which surely has to rank among the widest for any country: from the budget-focused compact A-segment to the most exclusive prestige marques, there are few brands that do not feature on the local scene.”
“Lastly, our country is home to some of the finest driving roads on the planet, backgrounded by immense natural beauty – and we simply must boast about our numerous iconic racing circuits, renowned on an international scale.”
World Car Awards
The official launch of the 2021 instalment of the World Car Awards will happen via virtual ceremony on 26 August 2020. From September 2020 to January 2021, the testing and scoring process gets underway, culminating in the World Car Finals in February. This will be followed by the announcement of the Top Three in the World on 2 March 2021, with the winners scheduled to be revealed at the end of March 2021.
For more about the World Car Awards, go to http://www.worldcarawards.com
