Ford Motor Company has recently invested a massive R2.5-billion into South Africa on a mission to expand operations at their Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria. The operation is aimed squarely at the production of the all-new Ford Everest, along with the new Ford Ranger that was launched at the end of 2015.
Ford isn’t the only party that will benefit, as approximately 1200 new jobs will be provided at Ford South Africa and within the South African supplier network. “Our customers love the capability and utility offered by the all-new Ford Everest,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president and president of Europe, Middle East and Africa. “By producing the Everest in South Africa, we will be able to make it more readily available, and in a greater variety of models, for customers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.”
An investment of this magnitude emphasises the importance of the markets that exist within the Middle East and Africa. “It further reinforces South Africa’s position as a strategic export base for Ford Motor Company,” Farley added.
The Silverton plant is one of four production hubs for the Ford Everest, along with Thailand, India and China. The third quarter of 2016 will see the first days of Everest production in Silverton, with the first batches expected to reach the market in the fourth quarter. South African-produced models will be sold locally and exported to markets across Sub-Saharan Africa.
A portion of the investment has been allocated towards the construction of the new Ranger, which is already operating at maximum capacity at the Silverton Assembly Plant – with domestic sales and export demand at a record-breaking level.
As a result of the investment, the Silverton Assembly Plant will produce around 10000 Everest’s per annum. “The all-new Everest has been extremely well received since it was launched in September last year, with demand far outstripping supply,” said Jeff Nemeth, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa Region.
Currently, the new Everest is imported from Thailand, and is only available in South Africa in a 3.2-litre Automatic guise in two specification levels. The investment will allow the Everest range to expand, with a 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi four-cylinder diesel engine being added, along with more specification levels.
In 2008, Ford declared plans to produce the Ford Ranger at its Silverton Assembly Plant with an investment of R3.4 billion. The investment allowed Ford to transform both of its South African plants into world class facilities to produce the Ford Ranger for local consumption and export.
“As we continue to grow our business here in South Africa we are committed to improving the skills of our employees and creating new opportunities within the company and the broader supply chain. It is only through the dedication and commitment of our work force, suppliers, dealers, union and government partners that we have been able to secure this investment and expand our operations, broadening our footprint in Africa even further,” Nemeth concluded.
