President Cyril Ramaphosa on, Tuesday, 5 November 2019, officially launched the Tshwane Automotive Hub at the Ford Motor Company in Silverton, Pretoria.

The Automotive Hub is an outcome of the Investment Conference held in October 2018 where the automotive industry pledged investment, transformation and localisation in fulfillment of commitments in the Automotive Master Development Plan 2035.

The Tshwane Automotive hub is expected to help the country attract new automotive component manufacturers, while also strengthening the City of Tshwane’s positioning as an automotive city.

Ford SA will be the anchor tenant of the hub, crowding in new investments and localisation opportunities for component manufacturers. It is estimated that the hub has the potential to create more than 5 000 jobs once fully operational. It is also estimated that the hub will result in a number of new business opportunities to nearby communities such as Eesterust, Moretele View, Nellmapius and Mamelodi.

The automotive hub, which is part of the expansion of the OR Tambo International Airport Special Economic Zone (SEZ), will be developed through a joint partnership between the Department of Trade and Industry, Gauteng Provincial Government and the City of Tshwane.

SEZs are an initiative of the South African Government, aimed at repositioning the country in the world economy and have become global tools for social and economic transformation, resulting in exponential growth when deployed. The programme’s main focus is to attract foreign direct investment and grow exports of value-added commodities.