Sumitomo ups its investment game with new state-of-the-art facility

Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), part of global tyre and rubber company Sumitomo Rubber Industries, has invested more than R2.1 billion in a “state-of-the-art”, purpose-built 180 000 m2 tyre manufacturing facility.

Holden baxter ox Q0ega Q Mf U unsplash 40

The facility includes a truck, bus and radial factory, as well as an upgraded passenger car, sports-utility vehicle and light truck tyre manufacturing component.

The new factory in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, aims to increase manufacturing output to meet any arising needs in the province and to improve its products and grow its market share across its Dunlop, Falken and Sumitomo brands.

“Over the next few months and years, we aim to ramp up local production and investment and increase our impact on creating employment in South Africa. We recently agreed to a phased investment over the next five years with our shareholders, Sumitomo Rubber Industries.

“The plan entails investing in machinery and systems that will ensure that we have capability locally to meet the requirements of original-equipment manufacturers, gain efficiencies to better serve the local market and create a better and safer experience for motorists on the road,” said SRSA CEO, Lubin Ozoux.

More Industry News stories

Interest rate drop is good news, says NADA

Interest rate drop is good news, says NADA

The Reserve Bank (SARB) has announced a 25-basis-point cut to the repo rate, reducing it to 7%. As a result, the prime lending rate for commercial banks will drop to 10.50%.

  • 1 August 2025
AAAM appoints new project manager

AAAM appoints new project manager

The African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) is accelerating its efforts to strengthen industrialisation and develop Africa's automotive value chain through the appointment of a new Project Manager.

  • 1 August 2025
AI investments put insurance companies at risk

AI investments put insurance companies at risk

While artificial intelligence (AI) investments offer substantial growth and profitability opportunities for insurance companies, they also introduce new risks that could significantly impact financial performance and credit ratings if not properly managed, according to Morningstar DBRS analysts.

  • 1 August 2025