2021 marks the Ford Ranger’s 10th anniversary since production in South Africa started in 2011 with the Ford Silverton Assembly plant in Pretoria having just assembled the 500 000th Ranger for export.
With a total investment of more than R11 billion between 2009 and 2018, over 732 000 current-generation Rangers have been produced in South Africa for both domestic and export customers.
An important contributor to the success and growth of the domestic automotive industry and the economy as a whole, the Ford Ranger has gone on to become one of South Africa’s best-selling vehicles. Following a further $1,05 billion investment announced in February 2021, Ford’s commitment to South Africa is reaffirmed with even more jobs on the cards in addition to the 4 300 people that FMCSA employs and the 50 000 jobs the company supports in the total value chain.
Neale Hill, Managing Director of Ford South Africa said, “The launch of the new Ford Ranger in 2011 was a watershed moment for Ford South Africa, for the domestic market and the broader pickup segment internationally.”
Ongoing investment in Ford’s local operations saw production capacity upped from 110 000 vehicles per annum to 168 000 units by 2018. Over this period, R11 billion was invested into FMCSA’s manufacturing plants, thus allowing for the launch of the Ford Ranger Raptor as well as increased production volumes across the Ranger range.
“The investment and subsequent launch of the current Ranger in 2011 transformed our manufacturing operations, and put South Africa firmly on the map as a high-volume single platform manufacturer for Ranger, both for the domestic market and, crucially, for exports to more than 100 global markets, including Europe where Ranger is now the top-selling pickup,” said Ockert Berry, Vice President of Operations at Ford South Africa.
In April 2021, Ford achieved its highest-yet export Ranger volume with 13 079 Rangers being shipped to export markets, in addition to the 2 416 Rangers that were sold in South Africa that month. Combined, Ford achieved an all-time record of 15 495 Rangers in a single month for both domestic and global customers, a clear indication of the scale and precision of their South African operation. Further investment will now see the plant aiming for 200 000 units per annum.
To celebrate the current Ranger’s 10th anniversary, Ford has created this video.
