THE investments aim to increase Ford’s installed capacity in South Africa from 168,000 to 200,000 vehicles, said Andrea Cavallaro, operations director of Ford’s International Market Group.
“It’s the biggest investment in Ford’s 97-year history in South Africa and one of the largest ever in the local automotive industry,” he told an announcement event.
Ford joins global carmakers including Volkswagen, Toyota and Nissan in ramping up production in Africa, viewed by the industry as a large, untapped market for new car sales.
Around a third of Ford’s local production is sold in South Africa and other sub-Saharan African countries, with the rest exported elsewhere.
Ford’s South African investment includes $683 million for technology upgrades and new facilities at its plant in Silverton, a suburb of the administrative capital Pretoria, and $365 million to upgrade tooling at major supplier factories.
The plant will also manufacture Volkswagen pickup trucks as part of the
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