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
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) plans to significantly expand its East London manufacturing plant to build the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. 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 about 700 t of structural steel, which will be installed for the addition of three production lines. New paint application technology and methods will enable the refurbished and expanded paint shop to 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
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Mercedes-Benz has lifted the veil on its new generation C-Class.

Production of the model is set to start later this year – for the local and export markets – at the MBSA plant. The 2021 start of production of the new C-Class will mark the sixty-third anniversary of Mercedes-Benz production at the East London plant. 

The new C-Class will be produced in the Mercedes-Benz plants in Bremen (Germany), Beijing (China) and East London.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultant
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, Corporate Affairs Manager, Thato Mntambo, tel +27 12  677 1621 or email thato.mntambo@daimler.com.