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Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle has begun to make good on a promise he made during his state of the province address to engage with big business.
He spent the morning at VWSA's Uitenhage plant where managing director Dave Powell gave him a guided tour of the German car-maker's hi-tech South African facilities.
Masualle told the media afterwards that his visit to VWSA he expressed his appreciation for the company's contribution to the economy of the Eastern Cape while at the same time examining prospects for future growth and how government can improve the environment for business to operate in.
He said government's Automotive Production and Development Programme sets objectives for carmakers to meet certain local content production targets.
"I was here, partly to see what we can do in contributing in creatingn that environment to be achieved. There are issues to do with logistics, there are issues to do with electricity environment in this space. It's to look at what we can, in putting together our efforts to make the APDP a success in this environment."
VWSA managing director, Dave Powell, says they used the opportunity to engage with key stakeholders to share their perspectives on the situation and the progress they're making as a company.
He told Algoa FM News that he also used the moment to discuss some of the challenges facing the automotive industry regarding competitiveness and what needs to be done to improve the competitiveness of the automotive industry.
Powell says these include issues of logistics and labour stability.
"I would says overhwelmingly that the tonality of the discussions was how can we together overcome some of these challenges and work together to provide a better basis for the future so that we can try and grow the markets as well as grow the production capacity and output in this industry."
"The first step is to have a clear understanding what the challenges are, the second step is to agree on some action plans together and I think if we use the discussion as a base for action then why not, we have to," Powell said.
