Mahindra celebrates 30 years in SA with new state-of-the-art vehicle assembly plant

Mahindra South Africa has opened their new, purpose-built Vehicle Assembly Facility at the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone in KwaZulu-Natal.

It also marks the Indian manufacturer’s thirtieth year in South Africa with the new plant, located close to Mahindra’s original 2018 semi-knocked-down automotive facility assembly site and represents a significant scale-up in both capacity and technical sophistication.

Increased capacity

The Durban facility can assemble over 1,000 Pik Up single and double cab models per month, with the ability to scale further as demand grows. It also offers the flexibility to accommodate new models Mahindra plans to introduce in the coming years, alongside an increasing level of locally sourced components.

“Our original facility played a pivotal role in establishing our local footprint,” said Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa. 

“As demand for our locally assembled Pik Up range continued to rise, we needed a facility with the scale, flexibility, and technology to meet future growth while maintaining world-class quality.”

Mahindra’s global engineering teams have been working with local suppliers to identify opportunities for greater localisation, further supporting South Africa’s industrial development.

full-scale manufacturing

Earlier this year, Mahindra partnered with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to launch a feasibility study into building a full-scale manufacturing plant in the country. The insights from operations at the new Durban facility will play an important role in shaping the study.

“This investment underscores our confidence in South Africa as both a manufacturing base and a key growth market for Mahindra globally.

“It also reflects our commitment to creating jobs and supporting local industry,” Gupta added. 

According to Sachin Arolkar, Head of International Operations, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, “South Africa is a cornerstone market in Mahindra’s international growth strategy.

"This new facility not only strengthens our ability to serve local customers but also enhances our regional manufacturing capabilities. It is a clear demonstration of our long-term commitment to invest in Africa and to make South Africa a central hub in our global operations.”

“The new assembly facility strengthens the brand’s ability to compete in one of the most dynamic bakkie markets in the world, while laying the foundation for sustained growth in its third decade in the country,” Gupta concluded.