The Kenyan President twice evokes "his frank" cooperation with the DRC
William Ruto is officially Kenya's 5th President, in an inauguration ceremony ending the post-election controversy, a tight but peaceful ballot in the East African country.
One hand resting on the constitution, the other holding the Bible, the new 55-year-old Head of State was sworn in at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi.
“I, William Ruto Samuel, swear to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of Kenya…as President,” he declared, in a deafening din of cheers and vuvuzelas as he held out a brotherly hand to his opponents. We are not enemies, we are all Kenyans”.
According to the presidential press, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo was one of twenty Heads of State and Government present among the 60,000 spectators gathered in the largest stadium in the Kenyan capital.
This ceremony ends a decade of presidency of Uhuru Kenyatta elected for the first time in 2013 and re-elected in 2017.
According to the same source, the outgoing President maintains friendly relations with the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
No worries about the continuation of cooperation projects between Nairobi and Kinshasa.
In his inaugural speech, William Ruto mentioned the DRC twice, particularly in the major project of building the road that will go from the east of Congo-Kinshasa to the Kenyan port of Mombassa bathing in the Indian ocean.
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Ford South Africa (SA) is on schedule with its R15.8-billion expansion programme to significantly boost its exports from the Silverton plant in Pretoria as from next year, says Ford Motor Company
Africa president
Neale Hill.
Ford SA will produce the new-generation Ranger pick-up at the Tshwane plant, starting in 2022.
The local arm of the US vehicle maker produced about 732 000 units of the current Ranger model from 2011 to 2021.
“The expansion of the production facility will enable us to build 200 000 vehicles a year – 32 000 units more than before,” says Hill.
The vast majority of these vehicles will be exported.
“The next-generation Ranger . . . will be produced for more than a hundred left- and right-hand-drive markets globally, including markets across
Africa,” notes Hill.
To realise the new production targets, the Silverton assembly line has undergone extensive transformation focused on modernising the facility, enhancing
efficiency and improving production quality throughout the plant.
Additionally, Ford is currently constructing a new body shop and stamping plant on the Silverton site, along with an in-house frame line in the newly developed adjacent Tshwane
Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ).
“Our entire focus is on being world-class and comparable with the best Ford
manufacturing plants globally,” says Hill.
“This is essential as we work towards delivering the required production volumes and achieving the highest quality levels for our customers.”
The expanded Ranger production programme will help create 1 200 incremental Ford jobs in South
Africa, increasing the local workforce to 5 500 employees, while also adding an estimated 10 000 new jobs across the automaker’s local supplier network, bringing the total to 60 000 jobs, notes Hill.
Ford will also build a new vehicle modification centre, as well as a new
training centre, with the latter to ensure all Ford employees are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to maximise the efficiencies of the enhanced Silverton facility.
Expanded production at the Silverton plant will include the new Volkswagen Amarok bakkie, as part of a global agreement between Ford and the German automaker, and will account for some of the added capacity at the facility.
New Rail Link, Africa
Ford continues to work closely with all three spheres of government and relevant State-owned entities, such as
Transnet, in developing the Gauteng Province (GP) to Eastern Cape Province (EC) High-Capacity
Rail FreightCorridor, says Hill.
This corridor is set to be a full-
service line linking the Silverton assembly plant and the TASEZ with Port Elizabeth, which is home to Ford’s Struandale engine plant and the Coega Special Economic Zone.
The GP-EC High-Capacity
Rail Freight Corridor will channel all of Ford’s inbound and outbound
logistics exclusively through Port Elizabeth to support the facility’s higher production volumes, says Hill.
“It is projected to create thousands of jobs within the value chain.”
Moving to the Port Elizabeth corridor means that Ford will avoid the increasingly congested and underperforming port of Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal.
When looking at the broader African context, Hill notes that it is crucial that the US carmaker aligns its
business with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), as this will “play an important role in developing a winning strategy for Ford across
Africa”.
“AfCFTA is a key component of the African Union’s (AU’s) Agenda 2063, which aims to boost the continent’s socioeconomic growth,” he adds.
“It would do so by accelerating the industrialisation of
Africa, integrating regional markets, stimulating growth, and supporting the welfare of its people.
“Underpinning that is the role of faster, easier, more economically viable trade and trade networks.”
After the World Trade Organisation, AfCFTA is the world’s largest trade agreement, with 54 signatories, says Hill.
“This holds great promise, for not only the continent, but also for the
automotive sector.
“AFCFTA presents as the best investment stimulus we have available, by creating an integrated market for goods and
services and the free movement of people and capital.
“In our work with the AU and the AfCFTA secretariat, we see a deep desire to deliver its full potential,” notes Hill.
“With strong intergovernmental partnerships and an enabling legislative
environment that allows ease of
business,
Africa can compensate for setbacks and chart a course for sustained economic growth, driven by industrialisation and trade.
“We can leverage economies of scale, volume, and improved skill sets to facilitate
Africa as an
automotive powerhouse.”
The New Ranger
The new Ranger bakkie – or the new Ranger midsize truck, as it is known in the US – abides by the trend of the expanded use of bakkies in recent years: it’s no longer just about work, but also about play.
The next-generation Ranger
project was led by Ford’s Product Development Centre in Australia.
The bakkie’s new
design features a square new grille, as well as C-clamp headlights at the front. For the first time, the Ranger also offers matrix LED headlights.
Beneath the new bodywork, the upgraded chassis rides on a wheelbase 50 mm longer and a track 50 mm wider than the previous Ranger.
A hydro-formed front-end structure creates more space in the engine bay for the new V6 engine and helps futureproof the Ranger for other propulsion technologies, such as plug-in-hybrid
technology.
It also opens up the front of the pick-up to allow more airflow to the radiator, which helps keep running temperatures low when towing or carrying heavy loads.
To ease access to the load bin, Ford has created an integrated side-step behind the rear
tyres of the vehicle.
In addition, the Ranger team worked to ensure that a wider variety of cargo could fit and stay secure in the load box, by widening the truck by 50 mm.
It means that customers will be able to load flat items such as a sheet of
building plywood or a full-size pallet into the bin.
Other touches include a new plastic- moulded bedliner that helps protect the truck bed from scratches.
In addition, the Ranger offers a new cargo management
system designed with dividers to hold various sized items, such timber or toolboxes.
Owners also can create smaller compartments to store objects which would otherwise have to go in the cab, using a
system of spring-loaded cleats that clip into rails bolted to each side of the cargo box.
The tailgate can also double as a mobile work bench with an integrated ruler and clamp pockets to measure, grip and cut
building materials.
Zone
lighting provides 360º
lighting around the truck to help give customers better visibility around the vehicle.
Load-box
lighting is provided under the left- and right-hand rails.
As noted earlier, the new Ranger also adds a 3ℓ V6 turbodiesel engine as one of three turbodiesel engine options available at launch, depending on the market.
The next-generation Ranger will also come with a choice of a single-turbo and bi-turbo 2ℓ inline four-cylinder
diesel engines.
In addition, the bakkie will be available with a 2.3ℓ EcoBoost four-cylinder petrol engine.
New transmission choices include an updated ten-speed auto or six-speed manual, complementing the current six-speed automatic.
Customers will also have a choice of two four-wheel-drive
systems: an electronic shift-on-the-fly
system, or a full-time 4 × 4
system with a set-and- forget mode, designed for off-
road capability when and where customers need it.
Inside the Ranger, the heart of the connective experience is the 10.1 inch or 12 inch portrait touchscreen in the centre stack.
It complements the digital instrument panel and is loaded with Ford’s SYNC4
system, which comes customer-ready with voice-activated communications, entertainment and information
systems.
Additionally, there’s an embedded factory- fitted modem, allowing connectivity on the go when linked with the FordPass App, so customers can stay connected.
FordPass enhances the ownership experience with features like remote start, vehicle status check and remote lock and unlock functions through a mobile device.
Many of the traditional driving mode controls have been moved from the dash and centre console to their own dedicated display on the SYNC
screen, where drivers can go to a dedicated
screen for all off-
road and drive modes to monitor the driveline, steering angle, vehicle pitch and roll angles and other controls.
The
screen also is linked to a 360º camera to ensure easier manoeuvrability in tight urban spaces, or to assist when negotiating particularly tricky terrain.
The Ranger cabin also features many places to store a phone or charge it wirelessly (in markets where compatible).
In addition to revealing the next-generation Ranger, Ford has outlined its “always-on” commitment to customers, with a host of
services centred around convenience on their terms.
Depending on the market, these include
service pickup and delivery, a Ranger Concierge program, and online
servicebooking options.
“When we reimagined the Ranger, we set out to create more than just a great new pick-up truck; we set out to
design a great experience as well,” says Ford International Markets Group president
Dianne Craig.
“We are a family company, and we want our customers to feel like part of our family. The vehicle sale is just the beginning of our journey together.”
And BMW:
PLANT ROSSLYN IS THE HEART OF THE BMW GROUP IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Production at BMW Plant Rosslyn dates back to 1968, when Praetor Monteerders began assembling cars, utilising BMW engines and drive-trains fitted to Hans Glas sheet metal pressed and shipped from Dingolfing in Germany.
In 1973, BMW AG took over full shareholding and established BMW Group South Africa (Pty) Ltd with BMW Plant Rosslyn becoming the BMW Group’s first manufacturing facility outside of Germany.
Since then, the BMW Group has been a major investor in South Africa and its people, with BMW Plant Rosslyn moving from a limited vehicle-production plant that merely assembled vehicles with a few customisation possibilities for the local market, to a world-class plant, capable of producing highly customised cars for customers across the globe.
For example, the BMW Group was the first OEM to adjust its production model to capitalise on exports, before the finalisation of the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) in 1999. Similarly, the BMW Group was the first OEM to announce a new investment in South Africa before the finalisation of this plan’s replacement, the APDP in 2009.
During this period, Plant Rosslyn’s production of the BMW 3 Series and the BMW Group’s investment in South Africa increased substantially with each new generation as well.
This is especially true after the introduction of a fully-fledged export programme in 1999:
With the third generation BMW 3 Series (E36), Plant Rosslyn produced around 92,000 units from 1994 to 1998 or around 19,000 cars per year.
The fourth generation BMW 3 Series (E46) was built between 1998 and 2005 and Plant Rosslyn was responsible for approximately 269,000 units or around 38,500 cars per year.
The fifth generation BMW 3 Series (E90) ended production with around 342,000 units or around 49,000 cars per year, having been built from 2005 to 2012.
Since the start of production of the sixth generation BMW 3 Series (F30) in 2012, 1,191.604 units have been built at Plant Rosslyn.
And now, following BMW Group South Africa’s R6,1 billion investment announced in the past three years for the production of the BMW X3, customer vehicles have rolled off the production line since April 2018 at Plant Rosslyn.
Therefore, since 1999, BMW Group South Africa has grown its overall production volume significantly while its production of cars for export markets has quadrupled.
BMW Group South Africa directly and indirectly employs over 49,000 people (4680 associates at the plant and at the national sales organisation, 4,956 dealer staff and 40,000 first-tier supplier employees). Earlier in 2016, BMW Group South Africa was named the number one employer in the automotive industry for the third consecutive year in the Universum Most Attractive Employer Awards for 2015. In addition, for the third consecutive year, the South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) Graduate Recruitment Awards, bestowed the honour of Employer of Choice in the Automotive Industry to BMW South Africa in June 2015. The company’s Graduate Development Programme remains highly favoured among graduate trainees. More so, with R73 million invested for the new BMW Group Training Academy, there is now an intake of 300 apprentices per year.
And Nissan:
About Nissan in South Africa
About Nissan in South Africa
Nissan South Africa is the operational hub for Regional Business Unit South, serving Nissan's key South Africa market and 45 other countries in Sub Saharan Africa, including Angola, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria as well as the key Southern African markets of Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.
In South Africa, the company offers a range of 24 vehicles under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands, including the popular locally produced Nissan light commercial vehicles - the NP200 half ton pickup and NP300 one-ton Hardbody - produced at the company's Rosslyn plant, north west of Pretoria.
Nissan made history locally in 2013 with the introduction of Africa’s first electric vehicle, Nissan's flagship Nissan LEAF. As well as boasting zero emissions leadership, Nissan is also a leader in the crossover segment. Among its product offerings are the all-new Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, as well as Juke.
The Datsun brand has re-established Nissan in the entry-level market where the tailor-made Datsun GO is breaking new ground in the ‘riser’ market segment.
INFINITI continues to make a mark in the luxury segment.
Nissan is one of the top five automotive companies in South Africa.
For consumer information, visit our website at
Nissan.co.za. Read more news about Nissan in Africa
here.
And Toyota:
The one millionth Corolla was manufactured in South Africa in 2013. In 2014, the Hilux, Fortuner, all Hino models and Ses'fikile taxis were produced from kits at the Toyota plant in Prospecton near Durban. In Q4 2021, Toyota started assembling the Corolla Cross in South Africa.
And Volkswagen:
Company
Volkswagen Group
South Africa, Kariega
The Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) plant is located in Kariega, an industrial town around 750 km east of Cape Town and 1 000 km south of Johannesburg. With almost 4 000 employees, VWSA is the largest private employer in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro where it is located.
The plant, which has been building Volkswagens since 1951, stretches over 518 378m² and produces 680 vehicles per day. Apart from manufacturing engines, the Kariega plant currently builds the Polo Vivo and Polo, and is the sole manufacturer of the Polo GTI01.
Facts and figures
As of: February 2022
| Plant: | Kariega |
| Aerea: | 518,378 m² |
| Production: | 129,119 vehicles and 58,770 engines (2021) |
| Models: | Volkswagen Polo, PoloGTI01
and Polo Vivo; EA111 Engines |
| Employees: | 3,679 (12/2021) |
And the list goes on...
South Africa exports cars to Australia.
