BMW GROUP SOUTH AFRICA
Selecting a company of the year is seldom a simple task. But BMW Group South Africa made it relatively straightforward this time round, rea rming its long-term commitment to the country with the culmination of a R6,1 billion investment (one of the biggest in SA’S automotive history) made in Plant Rosslyn some four years ago.
Yes, a er building ve generations of the venerable 3 Series across 35 years, the extensively upgraded Pretoria facility – famous for becoming the BMW Group’s rst manufacturing plant outside of Germany back in 1973 – switched to production of the G01-generation X3, hiking its annual capacity to an impressive 76 000 units.
While the sight of the 1 191 604th and nal 3 Series built at Rosslyn rolling o the production line no doubt prompted the shedding of a tear or two (and certainly signalled the end of a local era), it’s worth noting the X3 replacing it competes in a rapidly growing segment and thus e ectively safeguards the future of the factory, which again supplies both local and export markets. And that’s exceptionally good news for South Africa.
BMW Group SA (including the Mini and Motorrad brands), which directly and indirectly employs more than 40 000 people, furthermore opened a new R73-million training academy at the plant, with the 6 000 m² facil
ity capable of hosting some 300 apprentices a year. In addition, an expanded regional distribution centre went online at Waterfall in Gauteng, with the warehouse doubling in size to 32 000 m² and boasting storage space for as many as 600 000 spare parts.
Of course, BMW Group SA’S year has been about more than mere facts and gures, as impressive as these might be. Indeed, the local arm of the Munich-based rm also tugged at the heartstrings of BMW a cionados across the land with the latest in its increasingly lengthy line of restoration projects. A er breathing new life into an M1 and a 333i in earlier years, the company’s technicians faithfully refurbished a 325is “Gusheshe” in 2018.
Next up? Another Sa-exclusive in the form of a 1976 530 MLE, originally built at Plant Rosslyn as a homologation special to allow the rm to go racing in the Modi ed Production Series. is 530 MLE – one of the few surviving examples – is in the process of being fully restored, pleasingly with the input of a handful of the very BMW employees who assembled the original vehicles back in the 1970s.
Looking ahead, the Bavarian brand has a stream of exciting new models hitting local shores, including the new (now imported) 3 Series, the revived 8 Series (in both Coupé and Convertible guises), the reinvented Z4 roadster, the fresh-faced X7 SUV agship and the updated 7 Series saloon.
So, with its already broad model range further expanding; its signi cant investment in South Africa bearing fruit; and an admirable appreciation for and honouring of its local past, BMW Group SA is the worthy winner of our 2019 award.