The outgoing Ford Ranger is currently the most exported vehicle from South Africa, with just under 10 000 units being shipped from its assembly plant every month. Ford South Africa currently exports to over 100 markets worldwide and these volumes have been steadily increasing since June 2022. Production of this model officially stopped on Monday, 14 November 2022 with the next-gen Ranger starting its production run on Tuesday, 15 November.
This is a positive sign for the local automotive sector and a clear indication of recovery from the pandemic and ensuing global chip shortage. Vehicles manufactured in South Africa remain on par with global standards for quality, making them a viable domestic product and an important part of the export sector.
Ford South Africa is a direct customer of Formex Industries. The components and assemblies that we manufacture are sold directly to Ford and used on their vehicles, which are assembled at the Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria. This growth in export volumes for Ford and other customers of ours is a proud achievement for all.
Current Ford Ranger Raptor ©Alexander Migl
Ford’s exported cars are on the rise
While the global automotive industry is still impacted by the ongoing chip shortage and the disruption to logistics after the pandemic, many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are steadily starting to see manufacturing and export volumes increase once again.
“The situation is improving thanks to the hard work and dedication of our purchasing, manufacturing and logistics teams as well as our supplier network, and this is reflected in our export results,” explains Ford South Africa executive sales operations director, Dhiren Vanmali.
“It bodes well for the upcoming and exciting launch of our next-gen Ranger which remains on track for the end of the fourth quarter this year,” he adds. The Silverton Assembly Plant has not been operating at full capacity since 2020, but as sales and exports increase, so too will the manufacturing output from the facility.
Ford’s recent investments
In early 2021, Ford South Africa invested over R15-billion in its Silverton facility in preparation for the next-gen Ranger. This cash injection helped to build a new body shop, stamping plant and the only Ford-owned frame line in the world. Existing assembly lines were also upgraded and modernised.
The company is now reaping the rewards of its investment through improved exports and local sales, even though the new Ranger is yet to go on sale. Currently, Silverton is capable of producing up to 200 000 vehicles per year, which is one of the highest capacities at any Ford manufacturing facility worldwide.
In addition to the R15-billion investment, Ford assigned a further R600-million to its Struandale engine plant ahead of the all-new three-litre V6 diesel engines for the new Ranger. The existing two-litre single-turbo and bi-turbo engine assembly lines were also modernised as these engines will be offered on the new Ranger models too.
The Ford Ranger consistently places among the top five best-selling vehicles in South Africa, along with the Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max and VW Polo. Its popularity extends beyond our borders as evidenced by the export volumes achieved since mid-2022. When the new Ranger launches, these statistics are sure to improve. For more information about our components and products, please contact us today.
Formex Industries is a metal forming and assembly company that supplies a variety of complex products to the local automotive industry and the export market. The company is based in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole, South Africa’s foremost region for automotive manufacturing and export.
Formex is a Level 2 B-BBEE supplier. The company is owned by Deneb Investments Limited – a subsidiary of Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited (HCI) – one of South Africa’s biggest true B-BBEE companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
Follow us on Facebook for the latest industry news and features relating to our products and services.
