BMW SA invests another R160m in Rosslyn plant
BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) has invested an additional R160-million in its Rosslyn manufacturing facility, outside Pretoria, to enhance production line speed.
This investment raises the maximum production capacity at the plant by almost 10%, from 71 000 units to 76 000 units a year, ensuring the plant has the potential to produce the highest volume ever in its 44-year history.
The additional funding comes on the back of a R6-billion investment announced in November 2015 for the BMW Rosslyn plant to produce the new BMW X3.
Production of the X3 at the Rosslyn plant will start in the first half of 2018.
The first test units have already rolled off the production line.
The Rosslyn plant previously produced several generations of the 3 Series sedan for the local and export markets.
The plant will continue to build the current 3 Series until early next year.
Production at the Rosslyn plant reached 63 000 units in 2016.
“We are greatly encouraged by the amazing performance of our BMW X-models around the world,” says BMW Group South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa CEO Tim Abbott.
“This growth trend supports our decision to produce the BMW X3 in South Africa. The potential for the future is exciting, as, ultimately, production volume is determined by global demand for our products.”
The BMW X-models are known as sports activity vehicles within the German brand. They accounted for more than 30% of total global sales for the brand in 2016.
The BMW X3 specifically accounted for more than 24% of global BMW X-model range sales.
The made-in-South Africa BMW X3 will be produced for the local market and, in addition, will be exported to Europe, to more than 25 markets, such as the UK, France and Germany.
This means the US will no longer be an export market for BMW SA, as is the case with the current 3 Series.
BMW SA is confident the BMW X3 will have higher local parts content than the current BMW 3 Series.
The company’s newly built training facility will open in the next few months.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation