Apollo Announces New South Africa Investments

On March 19 Apollo Tyres South Africa announced plans to invest R300 million (£27 million) in new equipment and technology for the company’s facilities in Durban and Ladysmith. The upgrades will be implemented over a three-year period.

“This investment will make it possible for us to remain globally competitive and reduce production costs,” commented Dr. Luis Ceneviz, CEO of Apollo Tyres SA. “The technology and equipment we will be bringing on-stream over the next three years will remove certain bottlenecks in our production processes, further enhance product quality and reduce waste – a critical focus area for ATSA as an environmentally responsible tyre manufacturer. We have a very aggressive future growth plan for our African and Latin American markets, and this investment will ensure that we have additional capacity available ahead of demand.”

The new investment comes on the back of recently-completed plant upgrades totalling R250 million (£22.6 million) over the past few years. Dr. Ceneviz also indicated that Apollo Tyres South Africa, formerly known as Dunlop Tyres International, is planning to create more than 100 new jobs and is implementing a “Learnership Strategy” (similar to an apprenticeship) to up-skill Apollo Tyres’ South African workforce for the future.

“We have been engaging with NUMSA (the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa) and Government on our future plans and they are fully supportive of the investment, as a demonstration of our commitment to remain in the country and our continued belief in South Africa as an investment destination,” Dr. Ceneviz added. “Apollo Tyres South Africa is fortunate to be part of a global group that is aggressively growing in terms of market share and presence. We are continuously looking at new opportunities, and are growing organically as well as inorganically.”