VW gears up for 120 000 vehicles a year

Volkswagen South Africa
has passed another
milestone on its journey to
producing 120 000 vehicles
a year for local and export
markets at its Uitenhage
plant with the opening of
a R178-million Benteler
Automotive factory.
Situated in the Nelson
Mandela Bay Logistics Park
(NMBLP) in Uitenhage,
the factory will supply
dashboard carrier panels
and body parts, front and
rear bumpers and chassis
parts to VW Group SA for
the new Polo and Polo Vivo
ranges.
“Benteler is key to
Volkswagen Group South
Africa’s business strategy
to increase the local
content of the New Polo,
manufactured for both
the domestic and export
markets and the Polo Vivo
manufactured for the
South African market, to
in excess of 70% local
content,” said VW Group
SA managing director,
David Powels.
Over the past two years,
Benteler together with
Faurecia, Grupo Antolin,
Rehau and Flex tech have
invested over R700 million
in the NMBLP to support
VW.
“Four years ago, VW
Group SA commenced
a R5 billion investment
programme in new plant,
new technologies, new
product and the required
people skills development.
One of the fundamental
pillars of this ambitious
investment programme
was to take local content
levels from below 40% to
in excess of 70%. Together
with Benteler and our other
supplier partners in the
NMBLP, we have achieved
our target,” said Powels at
the official opening of the
factory.
The nearby port of
Ngqura will also provide
the “ideal base” from which
to export, according to
Hein van Gerwen, CEO
and president of Benteler
Automotive.