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.
Isuzu Motors South Africa is positioning itself to become the primary manufacturing centre for commercial trucks across the African continent, a strategic move that could significantly boost production volumes while increasing the use of locally sourced components.
Audi South Africa has introduced the new Audi A5 Sedan in South Africa. With a refined design, intelligent technology and ample performance, it brings a fresh alternative to the midsize segment.
iCAUR will officially be taking its inaugural step into the South African spotlight at this year’s Festival of Motoring in Kyalami at the end of August.
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A light on my car’s dashboard came on, and instead of fixing the problem, I waited for the bulb to burn out. Crisis solved.
Jarod Kintz
Isuzu Motors South Africa is positioning itself to become the primary manufacturing centre for commercial trucks across the African continent, a strategic move that could significantly boost production volumes while increasing the use of locally sourced components.
In a move that’s turning heads across the transport industry, Kiara Baijnath (photo), the founder and director of HerWay Logistics, is redefining what it means to be a woman in trucking by adding another pink Mercedes-Benz Actros 2645 to her fleet.
The Automotive Business Council (naamsa) recently submitted its quarterly review of business conditions for the South African motor vehicle manufacturing industry, during the second quarter of 2025, to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTCI).
