Stellantis NV will invest 3 billion rand ($160 million) to develop a new vehicle manufacturing facility in South Africa with the country’s Industrial Development Corp. and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
The owner of brands such as Alfa Romeo, Chrysler and Jeep first signed a memorandum of understanding with South Africa’s government in March. The project was finalized on Wednesday at a meeting attended by Stellantis Middle East and Africa Chief Operating Officer Samir Cherfan, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel and IDC officials, the trade department said in a statement.
Supported by government incentives, the automotive industry accounted for 4.9% of South Africa’s gross domestic product and 12.4% of exports last year, with manufacturers directly employing about 110,000 people, data from the Automotive Business Council show.