Automotive centre expansion plans go ahead despite strong rand

KEVIN MAYHEW
THE AUTOMOTIVE Industry Development Centre’s (AIDC) facilities at Rosslyn in Gauteng and Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, are motoring along with expansion plans and world class facilities being developed to entrench South Africa as the key developing market global player in the automotive industry.
According to Barlow Manilal, logistics manager of the AIDC, expansion plans are going ahead despite the impact of the stronger rand.
Manilal addressed industry stakeholders in Pretoria last week as part of an ongoing programme of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport South Africa (CILTSA) to communicate developments in the supply chain locally and internationally.
“The establishment of such important facilities could not be taken with any long term view on the volatility of the rand. It went ahead to fulfil a mandate to give the country what was needed to be internationally competitive irrespective of what the rand might do.
“We introduced something completely new in 2000 - the co-operation of various motor vehicle manufacturers to ensure a more competitive environment and supply
chain - and already Germany is seeking advice from us for such a cluster in South Africa’s biggest trading partner,” he said.
AIDC also took a non-partisan look at supply chain for exports and was co-operating with port authorities in both Walvis Bay, Namibia, and Maputo, Mozambique. Both have begun investing in the necessary infrastructure to capitalise on Durban’s lack of capacity for export and import of automobiles or components.
At Rosslyn its projected office requirements for tenants that are all involved in the supply of services or products and materials to the automotive industry, was being expanded at present - to where it was expected to
be by 2007.