Strong demand drives SA to decade-high vehicle sales
The South African motor industry continues to defy expectations by posting another month of exceptional growth.
- Industry News
- 4 November 2025
Business at Ford’s manufacturing plant in Silverton Pretoria is getting back to normal but the risk of interrupted power supply remains, Ford says.
The problems arose when overhead powerlines collapsed over the N4 on 10 April after a huge storm that left large parts of Pretoria, especially in the eastern part of the city, without electricity. This included the Ford plant and related industries in the Ford supply chain.
Production was suspended on 11 April and restored in stages starting on the evening of April 12, when production has slowly resumed.
The estimated total loss of production during the down days was 1 440 units. and a dark picture of the impact of the shutdown for an extended period was sketched by Ford Africa’s president, Neale Hill.
Ford tells Dealerfloor that the scale of the Eskom infrastructure concern holds the risk of interrupted supply. “However, we continue to liaise with Eskom and local government as they work to balance the system and fully restore the network.”
The newly upgraded Silverton plant is currently the second largest in the world producing the new generation Ford Ranger as well as the Volkswagen Amarok, both for local consumption and export to more than 100 markets. More than 700 Ranger pick-ups are manufactured in Pretoria every day utilising three shifts working at the plant.
The South African motor industry continues to defy expectations by posting another month of exceptional growth.
According to a Reuters report, Renault is engaged in active discussions with several automobile manufacturers, including China's Chery, as the French company explores opportunities for collaborative production and distribution agreements.
South Africa’s new-vehicle market continued its upward trajectory in October 2025, supported by easing inflation, a firmer rand, continued signs of improving consumer sentiment and demand recovery in key export markets.
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The South African motor industry continues to defy expectations by posting another month of exceptional growth.
According to a Reuters report, Renault is engaged in active discussions with several automobile manufacturers, including China's Chery, as the French company explores opportunities for collaborative production and distribution agreements.
South Africa’s new-vehicle market continued its upward trajectory in October 2025, supported by easing inflation, a firmer rand, continued signs of improving consumer sentiment and demand recovery in key export markets.