By Dylan Bettencourt
- The Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria will lose 391 jobs, while the Struandale engine plant in Gqeberha will cut 73 positions.
- Ford says sales of the Ranger pickup in Europe have fallen after the UK changed its tax rules on double-cab vehicles.
Ford has announced that 474 workers will lose their jobs at its South African plants.
The company told unions it will cut 391 positions at the Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria, 73 jobs at the Struandale engine plant in Gqeberha, and 10 administrative roles.
Ford says exports of the Ranger pickup to Europe have dropped, forcing the company to scale back production from three shifts to two.
Neale Hill, Ford Africa president, said orders from the UK fell sharply after new tax rules made double-cab pickups more expensive. From April 2025, these vehicles will be taxed as passenger cars instead of commercial vehicles.
Hill said the plug-in hybrid Ranger, built for export only, also failed to reach sales targets. “It’s an expensive vehicle,” he told Reuters, adding that it does not qualify for duty-free access into Europe.
The company said it regrets the job cuts but will offer voluntary separation packages.
Trade union Solidarity warned the retrenchments could signal wider problems in the car industry.
“This could be the beginning of greater job losses facing the entire automotive industry in South Africa,” said Willie Venter, the union’s deputy general secretary.
Despite the cuts, Ford says local sales are stable and slightly growing. But the Silverton plant, which can build 200,000 vehicles a year, will only produce about 100,000 this year.
Pictured above: A Ford production plant.
Image source: Ford Motor Company
