Pretoria – South Africa is searching for new markets for automotive exports and is finalising focused incentives for battery cell localisation, EV element manufacture, clear mobility analysis and design, and demanding mineral beneficiation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed these developments throughout his go to to the Rosslyn plant on Thursday, 24 July 2025.
The Rosslyn plant, a world-class facility, was the primary BMW plant to be constructed exterior of Germany and has been on the centre of the group’s operations since 1973.
“It additional stands as proof of the BMW Group’s dedication to the South African economic system, to supporting our industrial improvement, to our nationwide empowerment targets and to driving innovation within the sector,” remarked President Ramaphosa.
The automotive sector, which contributes roughly 4,9 % to GDP, helps greater than 115 000 direct manufacturing jobs and over half 1,000,000 throughout the worth chain, is a lynchpin of South Africa’s industrial technique.
South Africa is the twenty second largest car exporter globally, with fundamental export locations being the European Union, the U.S., and the UK.
However, President Ramaphosa mentioned the current bulletins on import tariff hikes by the U.S., an essential marketplace for SA car exports, “additional underscores the necessity to diversify our export base and speed up home worth creation”.
He mentioned the African continent was a rising export market, significantly inside the SADC area.
President Ramaphosa mentioned the shift to inexperienced mobility and electrification in car manufacturing was consistent with commitments by international locations to cut back emissions and help the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient world economic system.
“As a rustic, we’ve positioned ourselves as a globally aggressive vacation spot for automotive manufacturing, and the BMW Group has been an integral a part of our journey,” President Ramaphosa mentioned.
“A lot of world-class automobiles are manufactured proper right here at this plant, together with each ICE and hybrid fashions from the BMW X household.
“And now we’ve reached one other milestone with the manufacturing of the BMW X3 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle.
“We are tremendously inspired by this milestone reached by the BMW Group.”
As the transition to battery electrical automobiles, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen mobility gathers momentum, South Africa is completely positioned as a key world manufacturing base for the mobility of the long run.
“We are decided to make sure there’s an enabling regulatory and coverage setting,” said the President.
“Through the Automotive Production and Development Programme and extra just lately, the Electric Vehicle [EV] White Paper and incentive programme, we’ve dedicated to a secure, predictable and supportive framework for corporations to speculate, localise and develop in South Africa.”
He mentioned incentivising EV manufacturing for export and on the similar time supporting the expansion of the native EV market was an crucial.
“The world shift to wash automobiles presents alternatives for the native element manufacturing sector, whose focus has been on ICE parts,” mentioned President Ramaphosa.
“With our important reserves of essential minerals, we should turn into a hub for processing and beneficiation.
”We are finalising focused incentives for battery cell localisation, EV element manufacture, clear mobility analysis and design, and demanding mineral beneficiation.”
President Ramaphosa said that the native manufacturing of the BMW X3 Plug-in Hybrid was a “image of belief”.
He added: “Trust in our abilities, our employees, our partnerships, and our potential.
“Let us honour this achievement by staying the course, driving transformation, creating jobs, and main Africa’s industrial future.
“BMW Group is to be congratulated for its dedication to abilities improvement and coaching for younger folks.”
This consists of its partnership with UNICEF to coach learners and educators in coding and robotics in colleges and the BMW South Africa IT Hub in Tshwane that employs greater than 2 000 professionals, together with software program engineers and digital specialists.
“We commend BMW for the substantial funding in its coaching academy, which trains 300 apprentices yearly and has since 1978 educated greater than 2 000 artisans,” the President mentioned.
“As a founding associate of the Youth Employment Service, BMW has supported over 3 500 youth, with placements throughout all provinces and in numerous sectors equivalent to retail, IT, schooling, and well being.”
BMW’s dedication to transformation consists of lively mentorship of younger ladies, the event of black industrialists, and funding in a pipeline of future managers by its Leadership Acceleration Programme.
“BMW’s roots could also be in Bavaria, however its beating coronary heart is South African,” mentioned President Ramaphosa.
“We are pleased with your presence.
“We are tremendously inspired by your ongoing funding as we try to construct the low-carbon economies of the long run.
“We see BMW as an integral a part of the South African development story.”
President Ramaphosa added: “As the Government of National Unity, we welcome the position you proceed to play in supporting our drive for inclusive development and job creation.
“As we put together for the upcoming South Africa Investment Conference, I invite BMW to as soon as once more be a flagship associate.
“Let us work collectively to deepen localisation, scale up youth coaching, lead in EV battery improvement, and help township provider improvement.”
He mentioned BMW’s presence within the nation was one in all mutual curiosity and shared worth.
“To your entire BMW workforce, you might be constructing greater than automobiles,” the President mentioned.
“You are constructing a legacy of excellence, inclusion and hope amongst South Africans.
“We look ahead to persevering with this partnership and supporting the subsequent chapter of your journey.”
Notable friends included Premier of Gauteng Panyaza Lesufi,
representatives of the German Embassy, Chief Executive Officer of BMW South Africa, members of the administration Board of BMW AG, in addition to representatives of enterprise and labour.
