Ford South Africa Exports the Focus of Growth
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa acknowledged the hurdle it has to overcome as domestic sales in South Africa continues to slide, stating that it will continue to focus on the growth area of exports as a source of strength. According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa, export sales remain strong even as domestic sales fall off, topping out at 33,090 vehicles in April for a 53.8 percent year-over-year gain.
Leading the charge for FMCSA are key products like the Ranger, which is one of the vehicles Ford exports from South Africa to 148 global markets. Per Ford, two-thirds of all vehicles built in Pretoria and Port Elizabeth are sold outside of the country.
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“While domestic vehicle sales are an essential component of business for us, I believe that the real success and sustainability of the original equipment manufacturing sector as a whole, relies on expansion of South Africa’s global export opportunities,” said Neale Hill, Managing Director of Ford Motor Company of Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Neale noted that Ford has invested approximately US$208.2 million (R3-billion) in the expansion of its Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria and Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth to support the demand for the new Ranger in markets like Europe and the Middle East.
A recent step Ford has undertaken to meet demand is adopting a multi-port strategy that ships Rangers to Europe from the harbor of Port Elizabeth, which allows Ford to increase delivery speeds and export volume.
“We have carefully and strategically mapped our revenue pipeline to target exports and drive export-oriented growth,” he added.
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