- The Silverton plant in Pretoria features a new stamping plant and the only Ford owned and operated frame line in the world.
- Production capacity has increased and 200,000 vehicles will be produced per year.
- The Ranger bakkie will continue to be exported to more than 100 global markets.
Ford’s Silverton plant flipped the metaphorical switch when production of the current Ranger ended, and hours later, flawless production of the Next-Gen Ranger was launched. This makes the Silverton plant the third manufacturing facility in the world to achieve this, with the other two operating plants located in Thailand. Elsewhere, plants in the US and Argentina will start production in 2023.
“The start of production of the Next-Gen Ranger in South Africa underscores our commitment to deliver must-have products for our customers, not just in South Africa but around the world,” says Dianne Craig, president, Ford International Markets Group (IMG).
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The first next-generation Ford Ranger was built at the Silverton plant in Pretoria. Ford SA employees celebrate this new milestone.
“South Africa is an important part of our global Ranger manufacturing network. It is fantastic to see the R10.3 billion investment being used to modernize and transform the Silverton Assembly Plant to produce vehicles of the absolute best quality for customers all over the world. the world. “
To meet these lofty goals locally and in more than 100 export markets, the Silverton plant underwent many innovative upgrades. This included the construction of its first on-site stamping plant, a new highly automated body shop, and the introduction of the latest vehicle assembly operations in the Trim, Chassis and Final line. In addition, the world’s only Ford owned and operated Frame Line was built in the new Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) supplier park adjacent to the Silverton Assembly Plant.
Ford’s engine plant complements this at Gqeberha, where another R600 million investment will help Ford produce the new 3.0-litre V6 engine and necessary upgrades to the 2.0L Single Turbo and 2.0L B-Turbo diesel engines.
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The first next-generation Ford Ranger was built at the Silverton plant in Pretoria. Ford SA employees celebrate this new milestone.
Uncompromising quality
These updates have been implemented to improve the overall quality of the Next-Gen Ranger. By bringing this in-house, Ford South Africa is able to ensure complete control of production quality from start to finish.
“These state-of-the-art scanning and measurement systems provide us with real-time data throughout production, ensuring that we can quickly identify and address any quality issues before the part leaves your production area,” explains Ockert Berry, vice president of operations for Ford South Africa.
“This data is stored in our global quality management system, allowing us to monitor trends and proactively respond to any potential issues.”
The first next-generation Ford Ranger was built at the Silverton plant in Pretoria. Ford SA employees celebrate this new milestone in early November.
Employment opportunities and economic development
Ford is also investing in the people of South Africa. Larger operations are converging with a larger workforce, with 1,200 new jobs and a third shift. This brings the total workforce to 5,500 jobs, and another 10,000 jobs have been added along the entire value chain.
local release
The Next-Gen Ranger will debut in local media in the first week of December, where derivatives and pricing will be confirmed. The Ranger has remained one of South Africa’s best-selling cars and following these upgrades to Silverton, Ford South Africa is not resting on its laurels.
