The Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Eugene Johnson, visited Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Manufacturing plant to preview the R1.2 billion investment which will see the new generation Isuzu D-MAX, and truck upgrades, later this year.
New production lines have been constructed over the past two years to ready the production facilities for the construction of the brand-new Isuzu light commercial and heavy commercial vehicles.
The investment also involves significant upgrades to tooling and equipment, as well as refurbishing the current line to support an extension in the manufacturing of current Isuzu models. In addition to the upskilling and training of staff, Isuzu has also embarked on rigorous testing of vehicles to ensure Isuzu’s promise of producing durable, dependable, and capable vehicles re-engineered for African driving conditions.
Billy Tom, President and CEO of Isuzu Motors South Africa, updated the mayoral delegation on the progress made on the investment, including upgrades to the manufacturing plant to meet the new vehicle requirements and the state of readiness to launch exciting new Isuzu products into the market.
“The R1.2-billion investment into Isuzu’s next-generation bakkie programme in South Africa, for the South African and Rest of Africa markets, is one of the reasons the manufacturer has been able to secure about 1 000 jobs directly at Isuzu’s operations in Gqeberha, and across its national and international dealer network, as well as around 25 000 jobs at hundreds of suppliers across the country,” Billy says.
Executive Mayor Eugene Johnson says as a key revenue generator, the automotive sector is one of the most important industries for the metro. “We need this industry, with a strong revenue from companies like Isuzu it means we can secure jobs and our citizens’ livelihoods.”
South Africa is the 18th largest manufacturer of vehicles in the world and the automotive industry is the third largest sector in South Africa, contributing 5.7% of the national GDP. The country produces 80% of Africa's vehicle output.
Towards the end of last year Isuzu launched the new seven-seater mu-X SUV. The new Isuzu D-MAX bakkie will be launched in the first quarter of this year, with the launch of Isuzu’s next-generation trucks following shortly thereafter – all locally manufactured in Gqeberha.
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You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
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Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
April 2026 marked a turning point in South Africa’s economic landscape, as global energy markets were jolted by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, according to naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
