Accompanied by 14 staff members from the homes, many of them former residents themselves, the children were able to see Stellantis’s full range of seven brands that are sold and supported in South Africa as well as hear testimonies from three different members of staff who shared their own journeys in the automotive industry – and how they had broken glass ceilings.

“The automotive industry is a global one and provides a range of sustainable careers from automotive engineering to design, sales, human resources, finance and even public relations,” says Stellantis SA Head of Corporate Communications, Deidre du Plessis.

“South Africa is a wonderful case in point: the automotive industry contributed to 4.9% to the country’s GDP in 2022, exported vehicles to 152 different destinations and earned R227.3-billion in foreign exchange.”

This was one of the reasons why Stellantis chose to invest in the construction of a R3-billion manufacturing facility in the Eastern Cape, to build vehicles for Africa, create jobs and invest in the local community as part of its circular economy philosophy, she said.

“Investing where we operate means making a significant and positive impact in the communities in which we operate and the best way to do this is to provide jobs and create hope. Hosting these wonderful children here today to show them what is available and give them something to aspire to, is a wonderful privilege, and we look forward to helping them where we can on their journeys in life.”

The SOS Children’s Villages are a network of havens for abandoned and vulnerable children across South Africa, building families for children in need, helping them shape their future and developing their communities.

“The automotive sector is wonderful because it allows people to enter at different educational and skills levels across a very wide range of activities as well as playing a critical role in moving the economy and contributing to it; many people take it for granted, however. Today we had an opportunity to lift the curtain and give the next generation an idea of how they can play an even bigger role in it and change their lives for the better,” she says.

• Stellantis South Africa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Stellantis NV, the world’s third largest automotive company formed from the merger of FCA and PSA in 2021. Stellantis SA has an integral role in the company’s Dare Forward 2030 strategy to produce a million units a year, with 70% localisation and achieve 22% market share in Middle East and Africa by 2030.