Business Report writes that employment in SA’s automotive manufacturing industry is envisaged to double to about 240,000 by 2035, vehicle production to increase from 600,000 to almost 1.4 million units, and local content to improve from 39% to 60%.  

This is in terms of a new master plan agreed between the industry and the government.  The plan has also set a challenging empowerment target for the industry to achieve, namely at least a Level 4 broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) status from 2021 to qualify for certain government incentives.  Trade and industry minister Rob Davies on Friday highlighted the importance of the automotive industry through its 6.9% contribution to GDP.  It accounts for 30.1% of manufacturing output and 13.9% of total exports, the employment of 110,000 people in vehicle and component production and R8.2 billion in annual investments.  Davies said the automotive masterplan would build on and would have a huge amount of continuity with the existing Automotive Production and Development Programme that runs to 2020.  No change in import tariffs are envisaged.  Andrew Kirby, president of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA, welcomed the announcement of the new plan.

• Read the full original report by Roy Cokayne at Business Report
• Read too, SA realigns auto incentives as it seeks to raise local content to 60% by 2035, at Engineering News

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