Founder & CEO | Pace Auto Group & Pace Car Rental

By Wordzmiths

Grenville Salmon is the visionary founder and CEO of Pace Auto Group and Pace Car Rental, one of South Africa’s most dynamic and rapidly growing vehicle rental enterprises. Born in Johannesburg, Grenville’s early years were shaped by a close-knit community in Benoni and a love for golf, nurtured by the proximity to local courses. His family later relocated to back to Johannesburg, where he completed a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) at Wits University, to qualify as a Chartered Accountant, adding an HDip in Accounting from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Grenville’s entrepreneurial journey is rooted in humility and hands-on experience. From waiting tables at Spur - an experience he regards as the best training in service excellence -to working at McDonald's in the UK to fund his love for cars and golf, Grenville built a grounded understanding of customer-centric business.

His professional career began at Deloitte, where his biggest client, Imperial Car Rental, sparked a deep interest in the vehicle hire industry. Inspired, he and his wife Berne - then a logistics specialist - launched Pace Car Rental in 2007 with a single vehicle: his mother’s VW Golf. Leveraging community support and a personal vision, he expanded the fleet with vehicles bought and borrowed from friends and family.

By 2013, just six years later, the company boasted a fleet of 100 vehicles. That momentum only accelerated - doubling year-on-year to the current fleet of 5,000 vehicles valued at over R1 billion.  Pace have also assembled a great team that is ready to take on the world, one bite at a time. Remarkably, the business thrived through the COVID-19 pandemic, fuelled by Grenville and his team’s commitment to innovation and accessible service.

Pace pioneered cash car rentals, addressing a significant market need by offering vehicles to customers without credit cards - after rigorous screening. Contrary to traditional risk perceptions, these clients proved highly reliable, often outperforming conventional credit-based renters.

Grenville's approach is driven by a commitment to affordable, flexible, and inclusive car rental solutions for savvy South Africans. With an eye on global expansion, he’s developing a model designed to replicate in Europe and the USA.

He counts his close friend Andrew Reen and other friends as mentors and values inspiration from industry disruptors. A fan of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Stephen Koseff, Grenville’s leadership style is both bold and grounded. He also enjoys the humour and insights of Jerry Seinfeld, Larry Davids, and Jeremy Clarkson, and he's a dedicated supporter of Bok rugby.

A devoted family man, Grenville met his wife Berné through a friend. They are proud parents of two sets of twins: Jenna and Olivia (9), and Guy and Edward (7). Berné has since stepped back from the business to raise their children, while Grenville balances work with family life, enjoying shared activities like Monopoly, Lego, swimming, and hockey.

A lifelong learner, Grenville is currently reading "The Black Swan" by Nassim Taleb and "Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell. He enjoys cruising holidays, beach getaways in Mauritius and Salt Rock, and remains an avid golfer.

Grenville Salmon is more than a businessman - he is a pioneering leader, a family-first entrepreneur, and a forward thinker shaping the future of mobility in South Africa and beyond.