Goodyear South Africa (SA) will wrap up its R1-billion investment programme into its Uitenhage plant, in the Eastern Cape, by the end of the year, says group FD Manoel Almeida.
The investment programme started in 2015.
The aim of the programme is to improve the capacity and capability of the plant to produce “high-value add” consumer tyres through the use of state-of-the-art equipment, notes Almeida.
The Goodyear SA plant supplies the local tyre replacement market, as well as a number of vehicle manufacturers. A portion of the plant’s production is also exported to the rest of Africa and Europe.
One of the products the plant has been able to produce since the upgrade started is the Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure tyre, launched in March, aimed at the rapidly growing 4 × 4 and sports utility vehicle (SUV) market.
In 2016, more than 40% of new vehicles registered in South Africa were SUV/4 × 4s.
The Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure features an ultrastrong Kevlar fibre overlay, which reinforces the tread, offering the ruggedness needed to prevent punctures and cuts. This feature is supported by Goodyear’s Durawall technology, improving resistance against punctures and cuts essential in the sidewall area.
“The Uitenhage plant can now produce high-tech tyres like any other Goodyear factory in the world,” says Almeida.
“The investment shows we have confidence in the South African market.”
The Uitenhage plant employs around 1 100 people.