By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Toyota is marking 65 years in South Africa with the ceremonial line-off of the ninth-generation Hilux at its Prospecton manufacturing plant in Durban, Kwazulu/Natal (KZN).
Held under the theme “Strengthening Roots, Accelerating the Future,” the event was supported by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau, Fumio Shimizu, Ambassador of Japan to South Africa, senior government representatives, business leaders and executives from Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM).
The launch of the ninth-generation Hilux is underpinned by a R10.4 billion investment, making it the largest single product investment in the history of TSAM.
For more than five decades, Hilux has been a cornerstone of South African manufacturing excellence. Since production began in Prospecton 56 years ago, more than 2.9 million Hilux vehicles have been produced, with exports reaching 74 international markets across Africa and Europe.
The investment is the biggest new capex project at the Toyota Prospecton plant since the devastating 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods.
The floods forced the closure of the plant for several months in 2022 and caused millions of rand in damage at the facility.
The investment by Toyota also comes amid increasing competition from especially Chinese car companies, some of which have set up new plants in SA, such as Chery’s takeover and investment in the old Nissan plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria.
In a virtual address during the official line-off launch of the Toyota ninth-generation Hilux at the company’s Prospecton plant in eThekwini on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the milestone represented far more than the launch of a new vehicle.
“Today is about much more than the launch of a new vehicle. It is about confidence in South Africa. It is about the enduring value of long-term investment.”
“It is about the strength of South African workers, engineers, technicians, and entrepreneurs. And it is about our shared determination to build an economy that produces, innovates, exports, and creates jobs,” the President said.
He added that the Hilux has become part of South Africa’s story over the past five decades, and although it carried one of the world’s most respected automotive brands, it was proudly regarded as a South African vehicle because it is “designed for our conditions, built by South African hands and exported from South African shores.”
The President said Toyota’s investment reflected exactly the type of investment South Africa was seeking to attract.
“The R10.4 billion investment in the new-generation Hilux programme demonstrates precisely the type of investment that South Africa seeks to attract,” he said.
The President said the real value of the investment was not in machinery or buildings but in the opportunities it creates for workers, suppliers, and young people entering the labour market.
The investment reinforces Toyota’s long-term commitment to South Africa as a globally competitive automotive manufacturing hub. Additionally, it bolsters the country’s position within Toyota’s international production network.
“At a time when both the global and the South African automotive industries are undergoing profound change, this investment reflects Toyota Motor Corporation’s confidence in South Africa, our people, and our manufacturing future,” Toyota South Africa Chief Executive Andrew Kirby said.
“When Toyota invests, the impact extends far beyond the vehicles we build. It boosts local suppliers, creates employment, develops skills and contributes to the growth of an entire industrial ecosystem. Every Hilux that leaves our production line carries the contribution and pride of thousands of South Africans.”
The investment programme includes three major infrastructure developments: a new 29,300m² Toyota Logistics Centre, a state-of-the-art Chassis Frame Coating Facility and a new Chassis Frame Welding Facility, scheduled for completion in June 2027.
Every new generation of Hilux creates an opportunity to expand South Africa’s industrial capability. To this effect, R3.2 billion of the investment was directed towards local supplier development, supporting domestic value chains and localisation objectives.
Beyond these new manufacturing facilities, Toyota has invested a further R7.2 billion in production preparation for the 9th Generation Hilux, including advanced manufacturing technologies, production equipment and supplier tooling. Furthermore, Toyota’s supplier partners have also invested an additional R2 billion in their own facilities, tooling and capability development.
The new Hilux introduces significant advancements in design, safety, connectivity and driving performance while maintaining the toughness, durability and reliability that have made the Hilux one of South Africa’s most trusted vehicles.
The new model is being introduced progressively across local and export markets through a phased rollout strategy, ensuring continuity of supply while production transitions from the current generation.
Kirby emphasised shared responsibility of industry and government to secure future competitiveness of South Africa’s automotive sector.
“The generation before us built one of Africa’s greatest automotive manufacturing success stories. Our responsibility is to ensure that the generation after us inherits one that is even stronger. Today’s investment is an important step towards that future.”