A long-standing challenge within South Africa’s automotive repair and insurance sectors has been the disconnect between vehicle damage estimators and assessors – a gap that has often resulted in friction, delays, and disputes in the repairprocess.

At the heart of this divide is a difference in approach. Estimators are trained to look beyond visible damage, accounting for secondary and underlying impact, while assessors have traditionally worked from what is immediately evident. Withouta shared technical framework, this misalignment has impacted efficiency, repair accuracy, and ultimately the customer experience.

Encouragingly, the industry is now seeing meaningful progress toward resolving this challenge through the rollout of the Vehicle Damage Quantifier (VDQ) qualification – an initiative that is steadily establishing a common standard acrossboth disciplines.

The Vehicle Damage Quantification Governing Body South Africa (VDQGBSA) is commended for its leadership over the past decade in driving the professionalisation of this critical function. Through its efforts, supported by key industry stakeholders,the VDQ qualification is gaining traction as a unifying benchmark for vehicle damage assessment.

By providing both estimators and assessors with a shared technical foundation, the qualification effectively creates a single source of truth – improving alignment, reducing disputes, and supporting more accurate and consistent repair outcomes.

According to Juan Hanekom, National Director of the South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (SAMBRA), a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), the growing momentum is particularly encouraging.

“We are now seeing the real impact of this work come through. The first candidates have successfully completed the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process, followed by the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA), and have receivedtheir certificates from the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). This is an important step in formalising the profession and enabling further progress, including alignment with job grading structures,” says Hanekom.

The role of training providers has also been instrumental in supporting this progress. The Institute of Training and Consulting (ITC) has played a key role in facilitating both the RPL and EISA processes, ensuring candidates are assessedagainst the required occupational standards.

Importantly, industry adoption is accelerating. Several insurers are beginning to incorporate the VDQ qualification and professional designation into panel requirements, with broader implementation expected as the sector works toward December2026 targets. This signals a clear shift toward standardisation and a more consistent approach across the value chain.

Hanekom emphasises that while SAMBRA has long supported the development of the qualification, the current progress reflects a broader, collaborative industry effort.

“As SAMBRA, we fully support the move toward standardisation and the professionalisation of vehicle damage quantification. Alignment across estimators and assessors is essential if we are to reduce friction in the system, improve repairaccuracy, and ultimately deliver a more consistent and reliable outcome for the customer.”

With over 300 candidates currently in the pipeline, the increasing uptake of the qualification points to a sector that is actively working toward greater cohesion, credibility, and efficiency, underpinned by a shared commitment to raisingstandards across the industry.