News of a brand-new vehicle factory opening its doors in South Africa may come as a bit of a shock if you’ve only been listening to the doom-mongers. Donald Trump’s 30% trade tariffs can move aside, because as of this week, South Africa is home to a brand-new vehicle factory.
Situated in the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone in KwaZulu-Natal, the new vehicle factory belongs to Indian giant, Mahindra South Africa. And the brand says the new facility marks a major step in the brand’s 30-year journey in South Africa.
NEW VEHICLE FACTORY FOR SA
Designed and built to Mahindra’s rigorous global standards, the vehicle factory represents a significant scale-up in both capacity expansion and quality control systems. “As demand for our locally assembled Pik Up bakkie continues to rise, we needed a facility with the scale, flexibility, and technology to meet future growth,” said Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.
The Durban-based facility has the capacity to assemble over 1 000 Pik Up single- and double-cab bakkies per month. Moreover, the vehicle factory also offers the flexibility to accommodate new models Mahindra may wish to introduce in the coming years. Better still, Mahindra has been working with local suppliers to identify opportunities for greater part localisation and job creation.
RENEWED CONFIDENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA
“South Africa is a cornerstone market in Mahindra’s international growth strategy. A new vehicle factory here strengthens our regional manufacturing capabilities in Africa. This investment underscores our confidence in South Africa as a manufacturing base globally. And it reflects our commitment to creating jobs and supporting South African customers,” concluded Rajesh.
ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE A NEW VEHICLE FACTORY OPEN IN SOUTH AFRICA?
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