'SurvivorSA' Star, CMO: Nicole Capper-Austin Is Fuelled by More Than Horsepower
- Nicole Capper-Austin reveals why understanding people matters more than understanding horsepower
- The Cars.co.za CMO explains how a career in pharmacy unexpectedly led her into South Africa's automotive industry
- She shares why women no longer need permission to succeed in motoring and what still needs to change
- Nicole is one of Briefly News' Women of Wonder 2026: Steering the Story in SA Motoring honourees
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Original
As South Africa celebrates Women's Month this August, Briefly News is recognising women reshaping the country's automotive industry through Women of Wonder 2026: Steering the Story in SA Motoring. Among this year's participants is Nicole Capper-Austin, the Chief Marketing Officer at Cars.co.za, whose journey into motoring began with a fascination for people.
Today, Nicole is helping one of South Africa's biggest automotive brands connect with millions of motorists. By combining data, storytelling and human behaviour, she has helped shape how South Africans buy, research and think about cars.
Before entering the marketing world, she trained and worked as a registered pharmacist, where she learned to trust evidence, challenge assumptions and test every theory. Marketing added another layer, showing her that while data matters, people rarely make decisions on logic alone.
Most people see pharmacy and marketing as worlds apart. Nicole sees them as two sides of the same coin. Curious about what drives human behaviour, she followed that passion, spending two decades working across FMCG, beauty, technology and fintech before finding her home at Cars.co.za.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
Why trust matters when buying a car
Nicole admits it wasn't cars that first drew her to the automotive industry. Instead, she was captivated by the emotions surrounding every purchase. A vehicle is far more than transport. It's the school run, a first promotion, a growing family or the freedom that comes with owning your first set of keys. Understanding those moments, she believes, is what turns marketing into a useful tool.
That philosophy has shaped the way Cars.co.za connects with South Africans. Rather than overwhelming buyers with specifications, the focus is on giving people the confidence to make informed decisions.
"Nobody should feel embarrassed for asking what a balloon payment is. Or whether they should buy new or used. Or whether an EV actually fits their lifestyle. The smartest person in the room isn’t the one who knows the most. It’s the one who makes everyone else feel smart."
Changes in South Africa's automotive industry
Nicole has watched the automotive industry evolve. Women are buying more cars, influencing purchasing decisions and stepping into leadership positions across the sector.
Yet she believes more campaigns targeting women are not the solution. It's making women so visible throughout the industry that their presence no longer feels remarkable.
Whether reviewing the latest electric vehicle, engineering new vehicles or running dealerships, Nicole wants young girls to see those careers as normal possibilities. She adds that Cars.co.za is investing heavily in creators, communities and talent because representation changes expectations.
"As Tyla has shown the world, you don’t have to wait for someone to invite you onto the stage. Sometimes you build your own stage, and everyone else pulls up a chair."
Advances in artificial intelligence, electrification and software are also transforming the vehicles people drive and the way they research, buy and experience them. For her, the next phase of growth will come from collaboration, with businesses, creators and technology leaders working together to solve real customer challenges.
"The best ideas rarely come from people who all think the same. They happen when an OEM executive has coffee with a creator. When a dealer shares what's happening on the showroom floor with a fintech partner. When marketers stop talking about impressions and start talking about actual customer problems."
Nicole says DealerCon 2026 is one of the events she's most excited about on this year's automotive calendar.
"It's easy to think of DealerCon as a conference. It isn't. It's becoming a meeting point for the entire automotive ecosystem, where dealers, OEMs, banks, insurers, technology partners, media and creators all get into the same room to solve the challenges shaping the future of mobility."
Life lessons from Survivor and the mountaineering hobby
Away from the boardroom, Nicole finds her greatest lessons in places where titles carry little weight. A mother, avid mountaineer, and runner-up on Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets (Season 7), she says those experiences have changed the way she leads and lives.
"Survivor ruined me in the best possible way. Thirty-nine days in Samoa with no phone, almost no food, no family and people actively trying to vote you off an island has a funny way of resetting your definition of a bad Monday."
Nicole says mountaineering has reinforced many of the same lessons she learned on Survivor. At high altitude, success comes down to preparation, discipline, and the ability to adapt when conditions become difficult.
Source: Instagram
This feature forms part of Women of Wonder 2026: Steering the Story in SA Motoring, proudly sponsored by Cars.co.za. As a proudly South African brand, Cars.co.za is committed to celebrating and empowering the women shaping the future of motoring in South Africa.
3 More Women of Wonder featured in Briefly News
- Razia Cassim has spent years proving she belongs on the drag strip, using every race to challenge stereotypes in South Africa's male-dominated motorsport industry.
- As Formula One's female fanbase continues to grow, Pam Mtanga is using her platform to help more South African women feel seen, welcomed and confident in the sport.
- Kayla Oliphant has turned her passion for spinning into a career that's breaking stereotypes and encouraging more women to take the wheel.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: Briefly News
