The Chief Executive Officers of major Original Equipment Manufacturers [OEMs]; together with a senior representative of Independent Vehicles Importers; and executive committee members of vehicle components manufactures, met on Tuesday morning to discuss and to reflect on the automotive industry’s collective response to COVID-19 and to
consider the impact of some of the measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on
Sunday evening.
The automotive industry plays an indispensable transformative role that contributes directly to the sustainable development of the country’s productive economy. The sector and its entire value chain is a major industrial and economic force that adds real value every day, by providing mobility; facilitating trade; creating sustainable jobs; moving people, goods and services; and by serving communities and creating prosperity for the people of South Africa. In order to reduce the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus, the industry has decided to implement a number of measures
to some of the industry’s standard operating procedures effective immediately.
Gatherings of more than 100 people in the workplace
all gatherings and meetings in auditoriums and other venues, where more than 100 people
will attend, will be cancelled;
all plant tours at vehicle manufacturing plants have been cancelled;
visitors, suppliers, customers, key stakeholders and members of the public will be expected
to sign a Visitor Declaration Form when entering manufacturing plants or any of the
automotive corporate offices;
all industry-related meetings will be held online. Face-to-face meetings must be avoided
unless necessary. Should a physical meeting be unavoided, they MUST comply with
agreed protocols [e.g. distance, hygiene, access regulations] and details must be recorded
the number of seats in canteens will be reduced significantly and extended time slots for
lunch breaks will implemented to allow for smaller groups in canteen areas;
only hot meals will be served in disposal containers with disposable cutlery. No cold food
preparation.
Workplace Hygiene/Employee Welfare
the roll out of hand sanitisers has commenced in many of our manufacturing plants and offices
and these will continue until fully implemented across all sites;
the following workplace disinfection measures will be implemented effective immediately:
frequent cleaning of all change rooms, canteens, and turnstiles during the day;
cleaning of green areas, meeting rooms and offices. The industry is working with
different service providers to commence with all the above.
all auto industry facilities will remove all towel dispensers and replace these with paper towels;
and
all our onsite Health and Medical Services will remain on full alert to assist employees and
visitors as a need arise.
International Travel
all international travel is prohibited until further notice;
all employees returning from international travel must undergo a self- imposed 14-day
quarantine. During this time, employees will need to:
check their temperature twice per day;
monitor their symptoms [fever, dry cough, breathing difficulties, gastrointestinal issues,
general body aches];
if they show any of the above symptoms, they need to contact a doctor for an
assessment and possible testing.
after the quarantine period, employees should make an appointment with their onsite Health
Services for screening and confirmation of their fitness to return to work; and
all employees on quarantine will be treated as special COVID-19 sick leave.
Receiving of Visitors
in-bound overseas visits will be cancelled until further notice;
any overseas visitors, who are already en-route to South Africa, must follow the same medical
screening procedures for returning international travellers as discussed above.
Quarantine Protocols
any employee, customer, supplier of visitor who tests positive for COVID-19 will be
immediately quarantined. The NICD will also be immediately notified;
all primary contacts of the positive patient will have to undergo a self-imposed quarantine for
14 days;
Impact on production or manufacturing of vehicles
All OEMs will continue to work very closely with their supply chain component manufacturers and partners to monitor developments locally and globally. Currently there are NO planned disruptions to any of our manufacturing lines across the country. NAAMSA will work through its Supply Chain Committee to monitor any production constraints and we will keep the market timeously informed should there be material changes in this regard.
ABOUT THE SA AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY
- the automotive industry contributes 6.9% to GDP [4.4% manufacturing and 2.5% retail];
- total automotive revenue in South Africa amounted to R503 billion in 2018;
- in 2018, the export of vehicles and automotive components reached a record amount of
- R178,8 billion, equating to 14,3% of South Africa’s total exports;
- the industry accounts for 30.1% of the country’s manufacturing output;
- vehicles and components are exported to a record 155 international markets;
- we are the country’s 5th largest exporting sector out of all 104 sectors and accounts 13.9% of
- total exports;
- the manufacturing segment of the industry presently employs more than 110,000 people
- across its various tiers of activity [from component manufacturing to vehicle assembly];
- combined with the industry’s strong multiplier effect, the industry is responsible for
- approximately 457,000 jobs across the South African economy’s formal sector.
