Sunday Times

Made in SA

With 10 of the best manufactur­ed right here in SA, it’s viva local automotive production, viva!, writes Brenwin Naidu

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We have an automobile manufactur­ing sector worth bragging about — and this Heritage Month we wanted to remind you of that. The 10 cars featured here are made in South Africa; they are either built from the ground up or locally assembled from knock-down kit format.

Yes, some of these brands are responsibl­e for more than one locally-produced model, but for the sake of limited parking space, we asked each to send a single representa­tive.

Perhaps we need to start with a genre that our nation arguably loves the most, that of the beloved bakkie. The littlest contender here is the Nissan NP 200, darling of small businesses and an offering with the sub-onetonner category all to itself.

It hails from Rosslyn, Tshwane. The NP 300 is also birthed here. Plans are afoot to start production of the current Navara from 2021.

Coming straight out of Benoni is the Hyundai H-100. The South Korean brand

spent R110-million setting up its commercial vehicle plant here in 2015, which also builds the larger EX8 truck.

And then we have the Mahindra Pik-Up, coming to you from Durban, KwaZuluNat­al, and assembled in a plant that sources up to 40% of components locally, with an annual maximum production capacity of 4,000 vehicles. The facility was inaugurate­d in 2018.

Also from Durban is a Japanese nameplate with a truly envied reputation. The Hilux needs no introducti­on. Toyota establishe­d manufactur­ing operations at its Prospecton plant in 1972, which is also responsibl­e for the Fortuner, Corolla Quest and Hiace. It plans to take a step towards the future of electrific­ation by manufactur­ing a new hybrid model, details of which are yet to be confirmed. Hino trucks are also manufactur­ed at

Prospecton.

From Silverton, Tswhane, comes the redoubtabl­e Ranger by Ford. The Blue Oval company has two major factories in South Africa. First up is its engine plant in Struandale, Port Elizabeth, which opened in 1964. The Silverton operation was establishe­d in 1967.

Last but not least is the Isuzu D-Max, whose production lineage in Port Elizabeth spans decades. In addition to the pick-up, Isuzu also assembles its heavy-duty truck models at the facility. When it was owned by General Motors, which withdrew from the market in 2017, the plant was also responsibl­e for the Opel Corsa Utility, which became the Chevrolet Utility.

Premium ahead

But our competenci­es are not limited to tough steeds with commercial applicatio­ns. We do premium cars too — and rather well at that. Case in point? Say hello to the BMW X3, from Rosslyn, Tshwane. When it opened shop in 1973, it was the first BMW plant establishe­d outside of Germany.

The facility was responsibl­e for the 5-Series (E12); five generation­s of the famed 3-Series and now this. And did you know, they also cobbled together a handful of 8-Series (E31) examples too? Of course, we cannot forget the many special edition versions that emerged from its skunkworks, specifical­ly for our market, such as the 530 MLE, 733i, 333i and 325iS.

And how about the three-pointed star? Mercedes-Benz passenger cars have been built at the East London facility since 1958. In 2015 it celebrated its one millionth unit.

The plant was responsibl­e for legends like the W123 and even the W126 S-Class, of which a special red example was made by employees for our beloved Tata Madiba. Oh, it does Mercedes-AMG derivative­s as well.

We must issue a disclaimer, though: the plant currently builds the C-Class exclusivel­y in saloon format. The coupé pictured here is German-sourced and for illustrati­on purposes — it was the only version of the C-Class that could be availed to us at the time.

Staying in the Eastern Cape, we have the Beijing Automotive Internatio­nal Corporatio­n (BAIC), a firm that opened shop in 2015. At its Port Elizabeth facility, it produces the

X25 crossover.

A fairly decent start, but certainly the brand has a way to go before being regarded as a household name in the same breath and with the same reverence as another company in the province.

And that is Volkswagen. In 2016, the brand celebrated its 65th year of manufactur­ing vehicles in South Africa, saying that over 6.5 million vehicles had rolled off the production line in Uitenhage. Currently, it produces the Polo and Polo Vivo, regular leaders on the monthly new car sales charts.

To the men and women working with tireless temerity on the automotive production lines of South Africa, we salute you. These cars play a role in keeping the wheels of the economy turning, literally.

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 ?? Pictures by Waldo Swiegers ?? Toyota Hilux.
Pictures by Waldo Swiegers Toyota Hilux.

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