Manufacturing: automotive

BMW celebrated 50 years of making cars in South Africa in 2023.

During the celebrations around the 50th anniversary of making vehicles at its Rosslyn Plant in Tshwane, BMW Group announced that from 2024 the BMW X3 will be made as a plug-in hybrid for export. This will entail an investment of R4.2-billion in adapting the factory to electrical specifications. More than 300 employees will receive specialised training at the plant, which was BMW’s first-ever foreign facility. Since then, Plant Rosslyn has produced more than 1.6-million vehicles to date and exported them to more than 40 countries worldwide, including 14 African nations.

Apart from BMW, Pretoria is also home to Nissan and Ford. The Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) is a project of the Gauteng Province, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) and the City of Tshwane.

Ford Motor Company has initiated discussions about the feasibility of developing a sophisticated rail corridor between Gauteng and the Eastern Cape because the company assembles diesel engines in Gqeberha, pictured. Ford wants to send parts to Pretoria and export cars through the Port of Gqeberha.

Ford makes engines for the Ford Ranger pickup and Everest SUV at its Struandale plant and it has committed to invest R600-million for modernising and growing its local operations, which employ about 850 people. A further R5.2-billion will enable hybrid-electric Ranger bakkies to be built in Gauteng.

The 520 963m² facility of Volkswagen South Africa in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) is one of four plants worldwide that makes right-hand-drive Polos but the only one in the world that makes the Polo GTI.

Both the Coega Special Economic Zone and the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) have areas dedicated to automotive and automotive components manufacture.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s new C-Class project (W206) has sparked several other related investments, which collectively will create 2 078 new jobs over two years at the East London plant.

Home-grown manufacturer of powertrain and catalytic converter assembly systems, Jendamark, exports to 18 countries from its facility in Gqeberha. Continental Tyre South Africa is producing a

Automotive Industry Development Centre: www.aidc.co.za

Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council: www.naamsa.co.za

National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers: www.naacam.org.za

Sector Insight

Ford is investing R5.2-billion to build hybrid-electric Rangers.

19-inch tyre for the first time at its New Brighton facility in Port Elizabeth and Isuzu SA has completed its consolidation project, with truck and bakkie manufacturing now taking place at its new headquarters in nearby Struandale.

The Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) has been extended to 2035, 15 years beyond its original expiry date. State support for the industry has helped it thrive, but manufacturers are expected to increase local content levels. The industry itself is looking to Africa for new markets and is urging national government to release policy guidelines on electric vehicles. ■