Covid-19 was a major setback for many industries around the world, but who has bounced back the strongest in the automotive world? This is where South Africa ranks in terms of automotive production.
With the last two years playing host to a global pandemic and a European conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the playing field for automakers has been turned upside down. New data provided by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and compiled by a UK based insurer GoShorty shows a detailed list of the countries that have recovered the strongest after the economic devastation that Covid-19 devastated in many countries.
Between 2020 and the end of 2021, the world was forced into lockdown with lockdowns that restricted movement and put production on hiatus in many industries. The data collected shows which countries competed in the automotive sphere between the two years and who managed to come back the strongest.
Related: The VW Kariega plant produced its two millionth unit of the Polo
Of the list, Argentina enjoyed the largest increase in production of 69% with just under half a million units produced at the end of 2021 compared to 257,187 units a year earlier. South Africa is seventh on the list, with production at the end of 2021 of 499,087, representing an increase of 12%.
With the industrial might of Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Volkswagen, BMW and Nissan all heavily invested in South Africa, there is also room for great growth, however the automotive world’s pull towards electrification is a determining factor for the local industry supporting more than 100,000 livelihoods.
