commercial vehicle sector
exports, with the locally built
model consistently ranked as the
top-selling pickup in Europe.
As demand for the new
Ranger continues to grow
in Europe, Ford beganexporting vehicles through
Port Elizabeth in April this
year, a strategic move to
address the high level of
congestion at Durban
harbour’s roll-on, roll-
off terminal, which is theTHE additional shift, which
commenced in August this year,
created 1 200 new jobs at the
Silverton plant, taking Ford’s
total employment in South
Africa to approximately 5 500
employees. At the same time, it
will significantly bolster
supplier companies by adding
around 10 000 jobs in this
sector. In total, Ford’s local
vehicle assembly operations will
support 60 000 jobs within the
total value chain.
“The R3 billion investment in
our South African plants,
announced in 2017, is coming
to fruition with the addition
of this third shift to increase
production,” says Ockert Berry,
vice president of Operations,
Ford Middle East and Africa.
“The investment enabled
extensive reworks at the
Silverton Assembly Plant to
expand the production capacity
from 124 000 vehicles per year
to 168 000 units,” added Berry.
Thanks to Ford Motor
Company’s ongoing investment
in South Africa, which reached
R11 billion between 2009 and
2018, Ford’s domestic turnover
accounts for 1% of the country’s
GDP. This makes the Silverton-
based company a significant
player in the country’s economy
and manufacturing sector, as
well as a major contributor to
South Africa’s employment,
both through direct jobs, and
within the total value chain
among supplier companies.
Approximately two-thirds of
Ford’s local production is
exported to 148 global markets,
with the balance sold in South
Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
The Ranger leads the lightBUYERSGUIDE Market place
country’s primary import and
export hub. Approximately
1 000 Rangers are being
exported via this new route each
month, which has improved the
efficiency and delivery time-
frames to European markets.120 SEPTEMBER 2019 leisurewheels.co.za
Above: The
introduction of
a third shift at
Ford’s Silverton plant
has created 1 200
new jobs. Left: Ford
currently builds the
Ranger, Raptor and
Everest in its Silverton
plant for domestic
and export markets.Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa is introducing a third shift to its
vehicle assembly operations at the Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria
to meet the growing international and local demand for the new Ranger,
Ranger Raptor and Everest.
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