Prospect of local Toyota production

Toyota SA Motors (TSAM) has announced its intention to assemble the Quantum and Ses'fikile at its Prospecton plant in Durban.
Prospect of local Toyota production

To date the Quantum and Ses'fikile taxi, which share basic platform and mechanical components, have been manufactured in Japan and imported in fully built up form. The announcement follows long but fruitful discussions between TSAM, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and the South African government. The discussions were motivated in part by TSAM, which says it views the Quantum and Ses'fikile ranges as core models and believes that the localisation of these products will benefit the productive use of its manufacturing facilities.

The local assembly of these vehicles is dependent on certain final preconditions which, if fruitfully concluded, will start in the second quarter of 2012. TSAM says it will, upon completion of the preparations, be in a position to comment on the investment and job creation targets set by this project.

Following a five-year R8bn revitalisation plan, which concluded in 2009, Toyota's plant already boasts an annual capacity of 220000 vehicles. It currently produces left and right hand drive versions of the Corolla, Fortuner and Hilux ranges at this facility and exports these vehicles to 57 countries.

Source: Business Day


 
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