Gqeberha , South Africa – Isuzu Motors South Africa has announced plans to position its local plant as the main manufacturing hub for commercial trucks destined for the African market. The company says the move will increase production volumes and the use of locally sourced parts.
Billy Tom, President and CEO of Isuzu Motors South Africa, revealed that discussions with the automaker’s headquarters in Japan are underway. He said the company has already conducted successful trials of building trucks and bodies locally, although some bodies are still imported from China and the Middle East.
The Isuzu facility in South Africa currently produces the D-Max pickup, assembles medium to extra-heavy trucks, and imports the Mu-X SUV for distribution across the continent. While exports of commercial trucks remain limited, pickups are already shipped to more than 30 African countries.
Tom explained that the company is focusing on West Africa as its entry point for truck exports, with the long-term goal of boosting overall African sales. “About six years ago, 15 percent of our volumes were in Africa. That number is now 22 to 23 percent. Our ambition is to reach 45 percent,” he said.
The expansion plan also looks to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area, which was launched in 2021 to encourage zero-tariff trade among member states, though less than half of the signatories are actively trading under the framework.
Isuzu’s ambitions come at a time when South Africa’s automotive industry is under pressure from rising imports, particularly from China. The country’s Automotive Masterplan aims for 60 percent local content by 2035, but the figure has remained at 39 percent. The target for vehicle production is also set between 1.3 million and 1.5 million units by 2035, up from the current average of 600,000.
Tom warned that the threat of deindustrialisation remains serious, with imports making up 64 percent of all vehicles sold in South Africa. Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau recently told delegates at an auto parts conference that his department would investigate the impact of rising imports on local car manufacturing.
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