Toyota Motor Company and Mercedes Benz South Africa have committed to greater investment within the automotive industry in South Africa.
Toyoto, which is a leading manufacturer based in KwaZulu Natal has agreed to a further R2.43 billion investment in producing the new Corolla Cross SUV, which will be exported to 43 African countries. This means the creation of 500 new jobs at the manufacturing facility in Durban and an additional 1000 jobs through its supply chain when production begins in October this year.
Mercedes Benz allocated R10 million towards the new C Class model in 2018 and this investment saw the expansion of the plant in East London with the completed construction of a new paint shop, body shop, an upgrade of the assembly shop as well as a new logistics warehouse. This investment gave rise to component manufacturers, which has a direct effect on local suppliers, job creation and growth of the region. The company has also committed to investing in VM Automotive, a 100 % Black owned company that will supply steel and aluminium to Mercedes for the C Class. A majority of the vehicles produced at the plant is earmarked for export with a smaller portion for local sales.