Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa’s newly-appointed chief executive, Robert Graziano, says the Silverton-based company could increase the scope of its imminent export programme by producing cars for left-hand drive markets.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa’s newly-appointed chief executive, Robert Graziano, says the Silverton-based company could increase the scope of its imminent export programme by producing cars for left-hand drive markets.
Graziano arrived in South Africa two weeks ago to succeed Deborah Coleman at the head of FMCSA. Speaking to the media yesterday, Graziano said he had appointed a team to investigate potential new export markets, including left-hand drive ones “in the longer term”.
He said Ford would consider producing left-hand drive vehicles if there was a market that offered critical mass, which he estimated at between 15 000 and 20 000 units of one type of vehicle a year. “The production of left-hand drive vehicles would open up significant opportunities for the company as the bulk of foreign markets are left-hand drive countries,” quoted the American as saying.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa will enter the export market beyond Africa this year when it starts shipping the new-generation Focus and bakkies to Australia and New Zealand.
Graziano said that Ford and its suppliers’ combined R1-billion investment programme to facilitate the export drive was well under way. The investment programme would enable the company to double its production capacity at the company’s plant in Pretoria to about 80 000 units a year within the next two to three years.
Ford’s export programme would form part of a 15,5 per cent increase in vehicle exports from South Africa to about 126 800 units this year, according to a forecast by Naamsa.
Graziano said the domestic automotive market, which was booming on the back of lower interest rates and car prices, remained the company’s primary focus. Export programmes that could impede local supply would not be considered.
In addition, black economic empowerment will feature among Graziano’s priorities during his minimum three-year term. Ford was developing an empowerment strategy along with its dealers and suppliers, he said.
