By Mandla Mpangase

The state of the automotive sector took centrestage during a visit by the portfolio committee on trade, industry and competition to the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) at the end of February 2025.

TASEZ welcomed the committee to the special economic zone on 27 February 2025.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) is one of TASEZ’s key shareholders, so the oversight visit was greatly appreciated.

“This is an important engagement,” CEO Dr Bheka Zulu noted, where the role of the automotive manufacturing sector and SEZs can be interrogated in depth.

South Africa’s automotive sector currently contributes 5.3% to the GDP, however, it is facing challenges and seeing a 3% decline and facing stiff competition from the markets in China.

The committee, chaired by Mzwandile Collen Masina, raised the need for a comprehensive industrial policy to transform South Africa’s economy, with a particular focus on localisation and stimulating local manufacturing.

The TASEZ executive team, led by chairperson Lionel October and CEO Dr Zulu, provided the committee with insights into the progress of Africa’s first automotive city, including its economic impact both locally and nationally.

The committee was told that TASEZ was a newcomer in terms of South Africa’s SEZs, set up in an innovative and unique way: supported by all three tiers of government. Along with the dtic, the Gauteng Province and the City of Tshwane contribute towards the success of TASEZ.

TASEZ, in the capital city of Tshwane, sits in the logistics crossroads of the country, reaching east and west, north and south, with access to the neighbouring states as well as globally through rail and port connections to the Durban Port.

The SEZ is also supporting the creation of a rail link to Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape.

“What makes us unique and special is that our core focus is in the automotive sector, and that’s where we’ve made an impact,” Dr Zulu said.

The automotive industry is an important contributor to the country’s economy, with more than 500 000 employed across its value chain.

“TASEZ has been able to design a world class automotive manufacturing hub providing a conducive environment for investors, where they can harness their potential of economic growth,” the CEO said, adding that the contribution to the GDP from within the hub was 1%.

TASEZ’s Phase 1 economic impacts:

• TASEZ spent R1.7-billion on construction procurement SMMEs – 43% of the total construction budget, well above the national target of 30%.
  • Some 229 SMMEs benefitted, with 6.2% of the procurement spend going to women-owned businesses, 18% to youth-owned businesses, and 2% to people with disabilities.
  • The SMME beneficiaries are based in the local communities of Eersterust, Mamelodi and Nellmapius.
• Some 5 500 jobs were created in construction, with 18% of the jobs going to women, 60% to youth, and 0.86% to people with disabilities.
• The SEZ created 3 311 permanent jobs, with 32% going to women, 65.47% to youth, and 0.83% to people with disabilities.

Ford, the anchor tenant of TASEZ, has managed to expand its production by 40 000 units a year, up from 160 000 to 200 000. “What this means is that one car is produced every minute because of the components manufactured in our hub. By the end of today, more than 720 cars will have been manufactured.”

Transformation of the economy is crucial to the committee. As portfolio chairperson, Masina, said: “We have to ensure there is real transformation in South Africa.”

All involved agreed that there is a need for innovative ideas that could change the course of development in South Africa.

A committee member noted: “We have got to invest in building black industrialists.”

The committee also discussed the need for a comprehensive industrial policy to transform South Africa’s economy, focusing on localisation and stimulating local manufacturing.

The targets set in the South African Automotive Master Plan 2035 featured strongly in the discussions; with the aim of increasing South Africa’s global automotive manufacturing footprint to 1%, increasing the local content in South African manufactured or assembled vehicles to 60%, doubling employment in the automotive value chain, improving the industry’s competitiveness to that of leading international competitors, the transformation of the industry, and deepen the value addition within the automotive value chains.

Masina noted that the Black Economic Empowerment scorecard currently in use, does not effectively promote real transformation. The two teams spoke about shifting the focus from Level 1 status to ownership and control.

Concerns were also raised about the current tariff regime’s impact on local growth and the need for innovative strategies to support black industrialists.

The committee emphasised the importance of aligning incentives and legislation to foster local industry development.

“How do we create our own original equipment manufacturers without over-reliance on foreign direct investments? We’ve got to stimulate our economy through direct investment in this country,” a committee member observed.

The discussion also highlighted the need for skills development, job creation, and the role of SEZs and SMMEs in driving economic growth within the automotive manufacturing sector.

The development of TASEZ’s Phase 2 provides some answers to the questions on skills development, job creation and support for SMMEs.

Phase 2 will expand the SEZ and attract an investment of R6.1-billion from private sector investment, and R3.9-billion from government partnerships.

This phase will see the creation of 6 150 jobs, and, like Phase 1, SMME procurement spend has been ringfenced to the amount of R1.1-billion.

Its particular focus is on including black industrialists into the SEZ.

A key feature in Phase 2 is the setting up of a centre of excellence that will answer to the growing need to upskill, reskill and prepare South Africa and its communities, for the advancement of technology. With the move to NEVs, new skills and a new way of doing business will be required.