Ford investment in Gauteng to create at least 1200 new jobs

The Ford Motor Company announced that it will invest R15.8-million in upgrading it’s Silverton plant in Gauteng in preparation for building the next-generation Ranger bakkie for both local and export markets.

Just last week, Toyota announced that it plans to build its Corolla Cross in South Africa, signalling a big boost for the country’s motor manufacturing industry.

Ford expects the new Ranger to go into production in 2022, but no other details were specified. The newcomer will also form the basis of the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok, which will also be produced alongside the new Ford bakkie at the local plant.

The huge investment is expected to create 1200 new jobs at the Ford plant, with a further 10 000 job opportunities across the overall supply chain. This also means that the production output at the plant will be able to increase from 168 000 to 200 000 units annually.

Picture: Ford