Hundreds of employees at Ford Motor Company's engine plant in Struandale in Gqeberha cheered on as the company celebrated 100 years of production in South Africa while announcing milestone investments.
Ford said it would be spending R5.2 billion in its Silverton assembly plant to produce "the first-ever Ranger Plug-in Hybrid" from next year.
At the same time, the company would be building a new battery pack assembly facility within the plant precinct for the new hybrid system.
Andrea Cavallaro, the operations director for Ford International Markets Group, said the new Ranger Plug-in Hybrid will be exported to Europe, and for the first time in 20 years to Australia and New Zealand.
"The additional investment in the Silverton Assembly Plant for the Ranger Plug-in Hybrid takes our total manufacturing investment in South Africa over the past 14 years to around $1.72 billion, or nearly R33 billion," said Cavallaro.
"It signals our commitment to the country, our employees, and our extensive supplier network."
Ford Motor Company South Africa also announced three major community initiatives focusing on empowering youth in South Africa through education, totalling R85 million.
This will include funding of 100 maths and science laboratories, and 100 early childhood development centres, and will be awarding 100 scholarships to highly motivated young South Africans studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Ford’s staff and employees at the Struandale engine plant were treated to a display of vintage Ford vehicles, including a Model T built in 1923. Another popular vehicle for enthusiasts was the yellow Mustang Mach 1 below.
