Toyota pushes up volumes TERRY HUTSON THE SUCCESS of the Durban Car Terminal is borne out by the fact that the recent extension, which doubled the terminal’s parking bay capacity to 7 000, is already proving to be too small, and detailed planning is under way to build another parking facility on the site. With the terminal having handled over 214 000 motor vehicles last year, eyes are now turning in the direction of Salisbury Island as Durban’s next car terminal. What has generated this success comes from the commitment of SA Port Operations (Sapo) personnel at the terminal to remain a world class business with exceptionally high safety, health, environment, risk and quality standards, says Lorraine Curia, the terminal’s support service manager. But it’s more than that. The terminal has a lot going for it, not the least being that Toyota, which is rapidly gearing up to become South Africa’s largest exporter of vehicles, is a part of Durban. There’s already a constant flow of vehicles and vehicle parts both in and out of the port. By next year Toyota SA’s production is expected to have geared up to 250 000 units annually, up from its current 110 000 units. Toyota South Africa was named one of the global source plants for the company’s Hilux IMV range of vehicles. Some 30 000 units are initially intended for export annually to Europe, the Middle East and South America although this number has since grown to a forecast 67 000 in 2006. But the motor industry is bigger than just cars and trucks. Toyota has become a leader in catalytic converter exports, says Russell Curtis of the Durban Investment Promotion Agency. The local company produces 17% of Toyota’s global demand for exhaust catalysts and maniverters each year, amounting to 2.4 million, and most of this production is exported to Toyota plants in Europe and South America. The Durban automotive cluster, established in 2001, now includes manufacturers such as Dunlop, GUD Filters, Smiths Manufacturing, Hest Harnesses, Behr, Aunde and Federal Mogul, all leading motor component importers, exporters and manufacturers. On top of these achievements a number of other manufacturers use the Durban Car Terminal, including BMW which exports upwards of 40 000 vehicles each year. Now the Volvo plant in Botswana is relocating to Durban where it will be situated in the Southgate industrial park at Amanzimtoti. Durban has the biggest port and it made sense to be here, says the project manager for the new Volvo plant.
