Name of the Project
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) manufacturing plant expansion.

Location
East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
MBSA.

Project Description
Plans to significantly expand the Mercedes-Benz East London manufacturing plant to build the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class are under way. The project includes the construction of a new body shop, expansion of the paint shop, an upgrade of the assembly shop and new logistic warehouses.

The new body shop has been designed for higher capacities and features more than 500 Internet of Things-ready robots, laying the foundation for Industry 4.0 readiness.

A further expansion within in the assembly shop is the integration of approximately 700 t of structural steel to be installed for the addition of three production lines within the existing shop. Using new paint application technology and methods, the refurbished and expanded paint shop will be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Overall, the energy consumption per vehicle produced is targeted to be reduced by 25% and this is in line with the plant’s initiative for green production. Other examples include an on-site energy storage solution (battery storage container pilot), water storage of one-million litres and the creation of green corridors.

Potential Job Creation
The expansion will create additional jobs at the manufacturing facility, including in the supplier landscape.

Capital Expenditure
€600-million.

Planned Start /End Date
The project was announced at the end of June 2018.

Latest Developments
The project is nearing completion with the arrival of the new-generation C-Class in 2021.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Mercedes-Benz Cars, Global business communications head Sofia Stauber, tel +49 711 174 0598, fax +49 711 177 909 1184 or email sofia.stauber@daimler.com.
Mercedes-Benz South Africa, Interim Corporate Affairs Manager, Darian Hendricks, tel +27 82 788 8837 or email darian.hendricks@daimler.com.