Upgrades to Ford's Silverton assembly plant.
You don’t get to be one of the biggest automotive brands in the world by making your business decisions based on emotion – so Ford’s massive R15.8 billion investment in its South African factories means the company believes in the economic future of this country.
The investment will see an expansion of the plant outside Pretoria to make it the biggest manufacturing facility for Ford Ranger vehicles in the world.
The commitment also enables a joint venture project between Ford and Volkswagen to put together VW pickups.
In the process, there will be 1,200 new jobs created.
An advantage of the plant will be that it is closer to prime developing world markets in Africa, as well as Asia, than other Ford factories.
The African vehicle market is, in the eyes of some experts, poised for an explosion and SA – which has a number of manufacturing plants for major vehicle brands – is poised to be the fuse which lights that explosion.
However, the world’s serious players will disappear from the country in a heartbeat if they believe their investments are threatened by reckless politicians or by social unrest.
Our government – and our rabble-rousing populist politicians – need to pay close attention.
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