Ramaphosa opens major KwaDukuza plant where 4 000 new jobs have been created

President Cyril Ramaphosa was in town on Tuesday to launch a state-of-the-art wire harness manufacturing plant in KwaDukuza, a 35 000m2 facility which forms part of five investment projects worth more than R1.4-billion by Metair Investments Limited.

Metair, through its subsidiary Hesto Harnesses, unveiled the new plant which will create some 4 000 jobs, more than doubling its staff complement and securing its position as the area’s largest employer.

Hesto manufactures harnesses for car manufacturers such as Ford, Toyota, Isuzu and Nissan.

The latest plant in Hesto’s operation serves to support expansion for the new Ford Ranger.

It cost R804-million to set up.

Seventy percent of the newly created jobs are occupied by black women.

On whether the company intentionally made the move of empowering local women, Metair chief financial officer Sjoerd Douwenga said it came down to the simple fact that women have proven to be better equipped to handle harness manufacturing.

Production capacity has more than doubled with the addition of the new plant, said Metair chief executive officer Riaz Haffejee.

“This facility is a testament to the group’s commitment to support the sustainability of the automotive sector through enhanced localisation and global skills transfer,” he said.

Haffejee said he was extremely proud of the Hesto team and what they have achieved.

Metair’s investment commitment follows the 2020 South African Investment Conference which aligned itself with the objectives of the South African Automotive Master Plan which aims to increase localisation, the development of skills and job creation.

The new facility will produce wiring harnesses specifically for the latest Ford Ranger and Isuzu models for local and export markets.

Hesto managing director, William Hilditch, said they were proud to invest in the greater iLembe district.

“The government’s support of both Ford and Isuzu unlocked this opportunity for us to grow our operations, both in KwaDukuza and Tshwane, contributing significantly to employment, economic growth, skills development and transformation,” he said.

Hilditch said South Africa had the resources and skills to continue improving on localising the manufacturing of automotive parts and that more could be achieved through closer collaboration.

“We believe that Hesto’s investment will be a catalyst for the expansion of the KwaZulu-Natal Auto Component Cluster to our area. This will lead to more investment in the manufacturing sector and the reindustrialisation of our economy,” said KwaDukuza mayor Lindi Nhaca.

Hesto Harnesses produces over 7 million harnesses and processes around 50 million metres of wire per year.

Follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube for breaking news

Telegram Broadcast Service: https://t.me/joinchat/yJULuN8NaCs5OGM0

WhatsApp Broadcast Service: Add The Courier to WhatsApp at 082 792 9405 and WhatsApp your name and surname to be added.