New beginning for Daimler Truck SA
● Leading manufacturer hosts grand opening of state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Centurion
As Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) steadies ship to chart a new course as Africa’s leading truck manufacturer, a fine-tuning of its corporate affairs structure was ushered in at a grand opening in Centurion, Gauteng, on Tuesday.
Previously headquartered in Gately, in East London’s industrial development zone, the company marked 60 years of commercial trading in SA last year.
During a momentous diamond anniversary celebration on October 13, DTSA unveiled 60 special edition FUSO Canter FE7-136 models.
An all-electric light-duty eCanter truck is scheduled to undergo homologation in SA in mid-2023, with the first round of sales expected to start in Japan next year.
DTSA is part of the global Daimler Truck Automotive Group (AG) — the world’s biggest manufacturer of trucks and buses.
DTSA president and CEO Micheal Dietz said it was humbling to see how far the company had come since becoming independent on December 1 2021.
“This day marks a great beginning for us,” he said.
“Last year, we commemorated 60 years of our commercial business in SA, an important milestone for our entire company.
“I look forward to further creating a great place for our employees while fully catering to our customers and serving all who keep Africa moving.”
Dietz said the decision was deliberate for DTSA, which pledged R190m to the region at the fourth SA Investment Conference in 2022, to house its new corporate office in Centurion.
“Gauteng might be the smallest land area of all provinces in SA, but, economically, it is the number one powerhouse in Africa — making up 5% of GDP on the continent.”
He said the province provided an ideal solution to house the company’s headquarters, sales, marketing, service and training facilities in one dedicated space.
DTSA enjoys a firm foothold in the region, where it supports additional parts and services for its Freightliner and Western Star brands.
The company operates in nine Southern African markets, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Malawi.
In SA, it boasts an overall product and brand portfolio encompassing Mercedes-Benz, FUSO trucks and MercedesBenz buses.
Extra steam will go into operations at DTSA’s production plant in the Eastern Cape to ensure the highest quality output.
“It will continue housing our entire production and testing plant, with direct access to the East London port,” Dietz said.
DTSA acquired Sandown Motor Holdings on January 1 and said about 60% of its full staff complement would be housed at the strategically located new campus inside Highway Business Park.
Construction on the main headquarter building commenced in early 2021 after DTSA procured an 11ha plot, and included refurbishing existing offices at a total project cost of over R200m.
The business park is kitted out with 752 solar panels, providing 350kWp electricity in line with the company’s commitment to achieving net-zero status.
“Creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly workplace was a key consideration.
“Our solar power provides [energy] to all buildings on campus.
“We have made a start, and becoming more efficient going into the future is a clear goal,” Dietz said.
A dedicated DTSA training facility, a parts warehouse and retail and TruckStore buildings add to the imperial design.
Trade, industry and competition deputy minister Nomalungelo Gina, speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by key stakeholders — customers, dealer partners, general distributors, suppliers and business partners — praised the move.
“It is exciting for us, as the government, to witness the grand opening of the DTSA headquarters,” Gina said.
“DTSA is one of the oldest [overseas companies investing] in SA, contributing immensely to the economy.
“We [laud] the partnership, loyalty and commitment as we, as a government, look forward to another 60 years [of your business in the country].
“The government commits its support. SA will ever be open to doing business.”
Daimler Truck AG management board member and Mercedes-Benz Trucks CEO Karin Rådström said the grand opening reaffirmed the business’s commitment to a strategic African market.
“The investment underlines our positioning as a global player in the commercial vehicle world.
“It also demonstrates our passion for people and diversity, for which SA is renowned.
“The new headquarters set the team up properly to serve our customers in this important market.”
Andreas Peschke, German ambassador to SA, Eswatini and Lesotho, said the opening of the headquarters was revolutionary and boded well for responding to the challenges of the commercial vehicle industry and ensuring the competitiveness of DTSA’s production and services model in SA.