The beating heart of BMW South Africa operations has always been the BMW Group Plant Rosslyn. Over the past 40 years, it has transformed from operating as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) vehicle production plant, assembling automobiles for the local market with few customization options, to a top-tier facility capable of constructing customized cars for affluent customers throughout the world.
BMW’s billion rand investment in the Rosslyn factory in the middle of the 1990s is largely responsible for this evolution. Rosslyn was given the name BMW Group Plant Rosslyn as a result of the investment, which was utilized to transform the production facility into one of the most cutting-edge in the world. In order to prepare the South African factory for the manufacture of future models, BMW continues to invest there.
The sixth generation of the 3 Series is now being produced at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn, which has a capacity of up to 75,000 vehicles annually.
The USA, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Canada each receive over 85% of the BMW 3 Series automobiles manufactured at the Rosslyn factory.
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THE CENTRE OF THE BMW GROUP IN SOUTH AFRICA IS PLANT ROSSLYN.
BMW Plant Rosslyn started producing automobiles in 1968 when Praetor Monteerders started putting them together using BMW drivetrains and engines mounted on Hans Glas sheet metal that had been pressed and delivered from Dingolfing, Germany.
BMW Group South Africa (Pty) Ltd was founded in 1973 after BMW AG acquired all of the company’s shares, making BMW Plant Rosslyn the BMW Group’s first production site outside of Germany.
Since then, the BMW Group has made significant investments in South Africa and its people, transforming BMW Plant Rosslyn from a small vehicle production facility that only assembled vehicles with a limited number of customisation options for the local market to a top-tier facility that can produce highly customized cars for clients around the world.
For instance, the BMW Group was the first OEM, prior to the 1999 completion of the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP), to modify its production strategy to capitalize on exports. Prior to the 2009 completion of this plan’s replacement, the APDP, the BMW Group was the first OEM to announce a new investment in South Africa.
With each successive generation, the BMW Group invested much more in South Africa and boosted manufacture of the BMW 3 Series at Plant Rosslyn.
This is particularly true now that a full-fledged export program was established in 1999:
From 1994 to 1998, Plant Rosslyn produced over 92,000 units of the third-generation BMW 3 Series (E36), or roughly 19,000 vehicles each year.
Between 1998 and 2005, Plant Rosslyn produced roughly 269,000 units, or about 38,500 vehicles per year, of the fourth generation BMW 3 Series (E46).
Between 2005 and 2012, the fifth generation BMW 3 Series (E90) was produced for approximately 342,000 vehicles, or 49,000 vehicles annually.
1,191.604 vehicles have been produced at Plant Rosslyn since the sixth generation BMW 3 Series (F30) began going into production in 2012.
Following the R6,1 billion investment announced in the previous three years for the construction of the BMW X3, customer vehicles have started to roll off the assembly line at Plant Rosslyn since April 2018.
As a result, BMW Group South Africa’s overall production volume has increased dramatically since 1999, while the number of vehicles it produces for export markets has quadrupled.
Over 49,000 people are employed directly and indirectly by BMW Group South Africa (4680 associates at the plant and at the national sales organisation, 4,956 dealer staff and 40,000 first-tier supplier employees). In the Universum Most Attractive Employer Awards for 2015, BMW Group South Africa was recognized as the best employer in the automotive sector for the third year in a row. Additionally, BMW South Africa received the distinction of Employer of Choice in the Automotive Industry from the South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) Graduate Recruitment Awards for the third consecutive year in June 2015. Graduate trainees continue to favor the company’s Graduate Development Program greatly. And now that R73 million has been spent on the new BMW Group Training Academy, 300 apprentices are accepted each year.
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On a BMW, what does South Africa mean?
I’ve heard of the 2013 F30 BMW 335i South Africa Edition before, but I’ve never bothered to find out why they name it that. So tomorrow I’m going to check out a car, and it says in its description, “2013 F30 BMW 335i South Africa Edition.” It seems to simply signify that South Africa, not Germany, was used in some of the construction. This particular vehicle, which is nearby and is an M-Sport variant, lacks M-Sport wheels, and the wheels it comes with aren’t exactly my favorite in the world. Do these South African F3Xs have something unique that the German cars don’t or don’t have, as I can clearly see that the wheels are not the regular M-Sport wheels?
The location of production is the only distinction between South African and German BMWs. Content is the same. They are entirely produced in SA, not just a portion of it. If the wheels are not conventional MSport wheels, they were either altered by the previous owner or are optional factory wheels. Obtain the serial number and enter it into an online configurator to learn more about the construction process.
German and South African F30s are identical. The SA 340i M Sport ZTR I owned. ZTR ships with M Sport wheels, but for some reason, many of them were optioned with another wheel that I believe BMW or the dealer thought would sell better in the US. By the way, the SA facility is well-regarded, and it doesn’t have any particular quality problems. In fact, it’s been said that the SA cars have fewer quality control problems than other cars, but that might simply be what we’re reporting here on bimmerpost.
I have a SA 335i. Not so uncommon, however I believe that the majority of special order vehicles originate in Germany because the SA automobiles require a longer lead time due to the higher shipping distance. The SA facility is known for producing high-quality products. I’ve had no problems with mine thus far.
The engine and transmission are assembled in Germany using largely European parts, so changing “fully made” to “totally assembled” is still wrong.
Not the point. The key fact is that the F30 has assembly lines in both Germany and South Africa, and the cars they produce have identical specifications. When comparing cars from Germany and South Africa, nothing stands out. That information is relevant to the OP’s query.
It has the air of snarky marketing. the same vehicle that was released in Germany. If it were the final F30 produced by the SA facility, I would understand, but it isn’t.
Germany is where my automobile was produced. The only distinction between the SA cars and other vehicles is the location of their assembly. Except for ED, custom order automobiles seem to typically come from SA.
Obtaining a “South Africa Edition” gives you a 50/50 chance of receiving a RHD import.
As long as the vehicles are US-spec’d, they will have the same accessories and equipment no matter where they were manufactured. If the wheels are different, either the dealership or the prior owner probably altered them.
Up until very recently, when they shifted 3er production out of SA, I believe the SA Plant was the most frequent location for final assembly of the 3er. Mene is a SA and has so far been trouble-free.
BMW first arrived in South Africa when?
The first BMW motorbike arrived in South Africa in 1929 thanks to a private importer. A BMW 501 was one of the company’s first vehicles in 1952.
However, Praetor Monteerders in Rosslyn did not start assembling BMW cars until 1968. Additionally, the business built Jeep models. BMW established BMW South Africa in 1975 after purchasing all of Praetor Monteerders’ shares in 1970. This was also the first BMW facility outside of Germany.
The Rosslyn plant was regarded as the most advanced vehicle manufacturing facility in the southern hemisphere after an investment of 3.5 billion rand at the start of the new millennium.
Is South Africa where the BMW 3 Series is produced?
South Africa and the BMW 3 Series have a longstanding relationship. At Plant Rosslyn in Pretoria, the German automaker produced 1 191 604 3 Series cars throughout five generations.
What does BMW mean?
Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, or the Bavarian Engine Works Company, is what the abbreviation BMW stands for. The corporation was founded in the German state of Bavaria, hence the name. Additionally, it shows the original product line of BMW: different application-specific engines
Which kind of car is made in South Africa?
The Ford Everest and Ranger are made in Silverton, Pretoria, and shipped for export from Port Elizabeth after being railroaded there. Mercedes-Benz has a long history in South Africa and has produced cars here for roughly 72 years.
Does South Africa have a national automaker?
South African-built automobiles are just as stunning and potent as those from outside. Automobile manufacturers in South Africa would make billions of Rands exporting vehicles throughout the world or would spend further billions developing more innovative car models if the cars were of higher quality. Additionally, South African cars are inexpensive because buying a car domestically saves on import duties and transportation costs. If you look at the vehicles built in Mzansi, you’ll never import a car again.
Does South Africa have a national automaker? SA doesn’t own a vehicle manufacturer. However, it has Africa’s best automobile assembly sector. Since its founding in 1924, the sector has continued to grow, and more vehicle manufacturing businesses are joining it. Which automobiles are produced in South Africa? Foreign auto manufacturers predominate in this industry. The majority of the automobiles built in Mzansi come from international automakers operating in South Africa, including BMW, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen.