How Nissan is investing in skills development as a driver of sustainability

Nissan invests in skills development as a driver of sustainability within the automotive sector

Over the last few decades, the African automotive industry has been evolving, with inclusive integration across all disciplines propelling the industry forward. Africa is gaining traction in the development of flexible workforces, advanced manufacturing, openness to creativity and innovation, and shared equity despite the challenges around sustainable skills development.

As a result, through strategic partnerships with governments and meaningful private-sector participation, Nissan believes that the African manufacturing sector is poised to innovate and create industrial manufacturing experience, ultimately resulting in solutions that can help communities and local economies grow.

Nissan first invested in Africa’s growth more than sixty years ago when Nissan Motor Limited opened its Rosslyn manufacturing operations in South Africa. In 2019 it reaffirmed its commitment to the continent with its recent R3bn investment to upgrade its Rosslyn plant and continues efforts to uplift and upskill not only its own staff but to also nurture the growth of wholly black-owned suppliers through its BBBEE start-up programmes and incubation hubs.

INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE

The South African Automotive Masterplan (SAAM) 2035 aims to have the local automotive industry producing 1.4 million vehicles a year by 2035. This target is partly achievable through further financial investment in the industry, upskilling to reduce the shortage of technical and engineering skills in the automotive industry and the strength of private-public partnerships.

Nissan’s modernisation of the Rosslyn plant has seen further investment in their people. In preparation for the Navara’s local production, for example, they invested R190 million in re-skilling and training Nissan South Africa’s (NSA) employees to expand their knowledge and expertise. To achieve this, NSA tapped into key global markets like Japan, the United Kingdom and Mexico to offer training and enable skills transfer to the local team.

Once a new model is contracted for local production, Nissan Japan provides that market with technical experts as part of its commitment to upholding global quality standards. This process was fortunately uncompromised despite the unprecedented change brought on by COVID-19 travel restrictions. Nissan used technology to its advantage to offer the company’s production trial engineers three months’ virtual training from Nissan Japan in preparation for implementing the new Navara model here in South Africa.

WOMEN DRIVING CHANGE

As a global entity, Nissan understands the importance of diversity and inclusion. This is evident in the increase in female management the company has seen globally, from 6.7% in 2008, to 13.9% in 2020. In South Africa, Nissan achieved a 50/50 gender split with the engineering trainees who participated in their skills development programme at the Rosslyn plant. Beyond this, Nissan is focused on providing female employees with the support they need to continue to grow through the ranks.

Mmathapelo Selwana joined Nissan in 2012 as a graduate in the Quality Department. In 2013 she was appointed as a Parts Quality Assurance (PQA) Technician and was promoted to PQA Senior Engineer in 2018. Today, Selwana’s key focus is on ensuring that the parts used are to the correct specifications and that they are free of defects.

She encourages other women to follow their passion, to believe in themselves, and to continue to achieve success within the technical environment. Vhutshilo Dzhivhuho is a Vehicle Quality Engineer at NSA’s Engineering Department. She joined the company as a graduate in 2017 and has since rotated through various roles. As a result of her extensive experience at Nissan, her daily routine includes measuring, analysing, researching, and resolving concerns about vehicle quality, a component that has a significant impact on the Nissan customer experience.

Mellissa Steele shares her commitment towards self-improvement and knowledge sharing with the young women whom she has had the opportunity to work with. She joined NSA in 2019 as an Outbound Supply Chain Engineering Manager, being part of the team developing and implementing the outbound supply chain strategy to deliver vehicles to customers in the South African and Sub-Saharan African markets.

Steele feels empowered by Nissan because she has authority over how she does her work and is able to make decisions that support the company’s goals. Nissan has also provided her opportunities to display her work and has invested in her development as a woman in the automotive sector, both on the job and through formal education. She aspires to elevate the young women she works with by providing coaching and career advice, as well as growth prospects through projects.

Through strategic communications and employee engagement programmes, Vuyokazi Quphe, Nissan Africa Regional Business Unit’s Corporate Communications Lead has been part of the team that galvanised the Nissan South African team to deliver on the local production goal. Through informative, exciting, and relevant executions, the former magazine editor and journalist together with her team played an important role in keeping employees focused despite operating during a pandemic, to deliver on their common goal whilst also creating awareness about the locally produced new Nissan Navara.

INCUBATING WHOLLY BLACK- OWNED AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS TO SUPPORT OEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Following the successful incubation of eight new component manufacturers and related companies, in their BBBEE start-up programme, NSA has continued with its strategic partnership and works closely with the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency to further develop the company’s skills development programmes and has established the second Automotive Incubation Centre at their Rosslyn premises.

Managed by the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC), the seven-year programme now includes 15 black-owned suppliers who are being empowered to become self-sufficient stand-alone units, who will be able to service not only Nissan, but other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well. Once this cohort has graduated, they will make way for a new group of wholly-owned black suppliers to enter the training programme – actively demonstrating Nissan’s commitment to positively impacting lives through the empowerment of SMMEs. Such programmes can only be successful if the OEMs are purchasing locally sourced parts. Nissan has committed to using locally sourced parts in production as part of their commitment to build the new Navara at its Rosslyn plant, which rolls off the production line alongside the popular NP200 half-ton pickup.

SKILL AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT GO BEYOND THE NAVARA

Since the announcement of the investment in 2019, the Rosslyn plant, which employs approximately 1800 employees, has been a hub for skill development across the entire manufacturing process. “Nissan recognises that building a sustainable industry and developing our economy is brought about through investment in skills and knowledge transfer, and that it needs to continue beyond the expansion and training completed for the Navara.” said Nissan Country Director, Kabelo Rabotho

If all OEMS continue to invest in skills development, they will not only increase their own competitiveness but will also contribute to providing South Africa with a competitive edge as a strategic player in the continental automotive industry. The importance of Africa as the last automotive frontier cannot be understated. With the AfCFTA in place and new, stronger trade agreements and partnerships across the continent formed, this industry is well positioned to see greater economic and societal impact. •

Kabelo Rabotho Nissan South Africa Country Director

CONTACT

Nissan South Africa PTY Ltd.

Address: Ernest Oppenheimer St Rosslyn, Akasia, 0200

Tel: 0800 NISSAN (647726)Web: Nissan South Africa

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