Simba Car Hire launches east coast branches as part of national expansion

Adelaide’s family-owned Simba Car Hire is taking on the industry’s giants with new branches on the east coast and an ambitous national growth strategy.

South Australian Motor Sport Board commercial manager Rebecca Lawson and Simba Car Hire chief executive Warwick Bentley.

Family-owned Simba Car Hire is expanding its national footprint with new showrooms along the east coast as part of an ambitious growth strategy to compete head on with the country’s largest vehicle hire companies.

Founded by owners Ali Chandoo, Abbas Bandali and Minhal Bandali during the onset of Covid-19, Simba has rapidly grown its fleet over the past five years to 1200 cars in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns and Sydney.

The company is set to open its inaugural Melbourne operation near Melbourne Airport in October, following recent branch openings in Brisbane and Cairns, as it looks to expand its network to every Australian capital city within the next two years.

Simba will also open the doors to its new South Australian showroom on the corner of Sir Donald Bradman Drive and South Rd in Mile End this week, providing hire cars for Adelaide Airport customers.

Simba chief executive Warwick Bentley said the company’s mission was to become the largest non-airport based vehicle hire company in Australia.

“We believe we have developed a business model that will be successful in key markets in Australia based on transparent and consistent pricing and excellent customer service,” he said.

“Our growing clientele trusts we will not overcharge them and it’s this trust that has become a point of difference between us and our competitors.

“We’re excited to be able to provide more customers with our friendly, personalised and stress-free service ensuring a seamless travel experience whatever the occasion.”

The Adelaide-based company’s national blueprint also involves increasing its vehicles under management to 4000, boosting its workforce from 75 to more than 100 staff, and tripling annual turnover to $29m by 2029.

Mr Bentley joined Simba last September from Wayne Phillis Kia where he was dealer principal and had supported Simba’s formative years by supplying rental vehicles to the company.

As chief executive he will support Simba’s national expansion, including growing its corporate hire division, which currently accounts for a small component of the wider business.

“I was very excited about where Simba was going and what it had achieved; this was a company that started on the brink of Covid and has since flourished into a true South Australian success story,” he said.

In July, Simba was announced as the official hire car company of the Vailo Adelaide 500 under a two-year deal for 2024 and 2025. As part of the agreement Simba will provide vehicle hire services to the event’s participants and fans.

“The South Australian Motor Sport Board is proud to be partnering and supporting another South Australian home grown business, using the Adelaide 500 and it’s extensive reach to grow their interstate footprint,” SA Motor Sport Board commercial manager Rebecca Lawson said.