Name of the Project
Ford production expansion.

Location
Silverton, Gauteng, South Africa.

Client
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA).

Project Description
Ford is expanding production capacity at its South African manufacturing operations to meet growing local and international demand for the Ford Ranger.

The focus of the investment will be on increasing Ranger capacity to cater for growing demand from local and export markets, a further improvement in quality and increased automisation, as well as allowing for the production of the Ranger Raptor, which will enter the South African market in 2019.

The Silverton plant currently has a 100 000-unit-a-year capacity. 

The investment will result in capacity increasing to 167 000 units a year.

Potential Job Creation
Employment is set to increase through the capacity expansion, although the number of people to be added to the Silverton payroll has not been quantified.

Value
R3-billion.

Duration
The changes to the plant should be in place in January next year, following a four-week shutdown period over December 2017.

The Ford Ranger Raptor will be assembled in South Africa from 2019.

Latest Developments
FMCSA has produced its first batch of trial Ranger Raptor bakkies at its Silverton assembly plant.

In preparation for full-scale production of the new model, the plant has assembled its first ten official Ranger Raptor units as part of the tooling trials (TT) build-up phase, validating the high-tech assembly line that has received an extensive upgrade through the R3-billion investment in Ford’s local operations.

Meanwhile, Ford continues to invest in its local operations to meet growing demand for the Ranger, and is introducing new equipment on the assembly line to improve the handling of the chassis turn-over, adding incremental buffers in the trim, chassis and final line, as well as new shipping conveyors in the fitment centre.

This is an additional R160-million investment in readiness for FMCSA’s expanded production capacity, starting in early 2019.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
FMCSA, Alisea Chetty, tel +27 12 842 2707 or email achetty2@ford.com.