Ford has announced it will be temporarily suspending its production facilities around the world in light of COVID-19. What does this mean for South Africa?
Ford South Africa has a large presence, with 2 facilities. The first is the plant in Silverton, Pretoria, which focuses on Ranger, Raptor and Everest assembly for both local and export markets. The second is the engine assembly facility in Struandale, Port Elizabeth, which builds the engines for the aforementioned vehicles, as well as other models.
It's not just South Africa which is affected as Ford has facilities in India, Vietnam and Thailand. According to Ford, the last working day for South Africa will be on the 27th March 2020.
“The health and safety of our employees, dealers, customers, partners and communities is our highest priority,” said Mark Ovenden, president, International Markets Group. “We are continuing to act in real-time and taking added safety measures by temporarily halting production at our manufacturing sites in the international markets.” Ford has also requested its employees to work remotely.
Further Reading
Building the Ford Ranger Raptor's Engine
One-Off Ford Heritage Ranger for SA
