Opels, Peugeots to be assembled locally
OGONE TLHAGE
Walvis Bay will soon welcome Namibia’s first vehicle assembly plant, with French automaker Groupe PSA announcing this week that it will assemble the Opel Grandland X and the Peugeot 3008 there for the southern African market.
The Namibia Development Corporation will take up a 49% stake in the plant.
Assembly will start in the second half of 2018 with an annual targeted volume of 5 000 units by 2020 to meet satisfy the demand in countries belonging to the Southern African Customs Union, Groupe PSA said.
The company’s executive vice-president for the Middle East and Africa, Jean-Christophe Quemard, said the investment was in line with the company’s long-term strategy.
“This investment in Namibia is part of the long-term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles in 2025. This new capacity will serve regional markets with products in line with our Opel and Peugeot customer expectation,” said Quemard.
The deputy permanent secretary in the ministry of trade, Michael Humavindu, said the government had been in talks with the French carmaker since December 2015.
“The factory will be located at our !Nara Namib plant. Our stake through NDC will be 49%. Initially we will employ 50 direct jobs whilst indirect jobs will be 200,” said Humavindu.
Two previous plans to set up car assembly plants in Namibia came to naught. Gobabis had been envisaged to become the site of a Romanian-owned Aro 4x4 vehicle assembly plant and a factory to build the locally designed Uri off-roader.
Walvis Bay will soon welcome Namibia’s first vehicle assembly plant, with French automaker Groupe PSA announcing this week that it will assemble the Opel Grandland X and the Peugeot 3008 there for the southern African market.
The Namibia Development Corporation will take up a 49% stake in the plant.
Assembly will start in the second half of 2018 with an annual targeted volume of 5 000 units by 2020 to meet satisfy the demand in countries belonging to the Southern African Customs Union, Groupe PSA said.
The company’s executive vice-president for the Middle East and Africa, Jean-Christophe Quemard, said the investment was in line with the company’s long-term strategy.
“This investment in Namibia is part of the long-term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles in 2025. This new capacity will serve regional markets with products in line with our Opel and Peugeot customer expectation,” said Quemard.
The deputy permanent secretary in the ministry of trade, Michael Humavindu, said the government had been in talks with the French carmaker since December 2015.
“The factory will be located at our !Nara Namib plant. Our stake through NDC will be 49%. Initially we will employ 50 direct jobs whilst indirect jobs will be 200,” said Humavindu.
Two previous plans to set up car assembly plants in Namibia came to naught. Gobabis had been envisaged to become the site of a Romanian-owned Aro 4x4 vehicle assembly plant and a factory to build the locally designed Uri off-roader.
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