The attendees at the signing ceremony in Pretoria on Wednesday
Stellantis has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) to develop a manufacturing facility in South Africa.
Stellantis sells the Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Citroën, Opel and Peugeot brands in South Africa.
“I am pleased that Stellantis is looking to South Africa to expand its manufacturing footprint,” says Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel.
“The company is a large global automaker, with a range of well-known brands. South Africa is a great investment destination with significant car-making capacity.
“We look forward to working closely with Stellantis to enable the company to set up a plant that will expand our manufacturing base and create local jobs,” says Patel.
“This is an important step in our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan towards strengthening our leadership in the Middle East and Africa region and becoming a major player in South Africa,” explains Stellantis Middle East and Africa COO Samir Cherfan.
“The manufacturing site in South Africa will be a new building block in our industrialisation strategy that includes the plan to sell one-million vehicles in the region by 2030 with 70% regional production autonomy, and will bring us closer to our customers’ needs in the region.”
The manufacturing plant is planned for setup in a South African Special Economic Zone.
The aim is to complete this manufacturing project by 2025.
“An investment partner like Stellantis is an amazing opportunity for South Africa,” says IDC CEO TP Nchocho.
“The [company’s] track record in manufacturing plants around the world is impressive and we look forward to a joint venture with Stellantis to build a successful plant in South Africa – another brick in the foundation towards our target of producing a million cars [a year] locally in South Africa.”