From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.

Sashnee Moodley:

Mercedes-Benz South Africa in June started production of the new C-Class, the W206, at its East London plant, in the Eastern Cape. Tasneem Bulbulia attended the launch.

Tasneem Bulbulia:

Production will include a plug-in hybrid, starting in the fourth quarter of the year. In 2016, Mercedes-Benz South Africa initiated plug-in hybrid production at its East London facility.

Other production locations for the new C-Class model include Bremen, in Germany, and Beijing, in China.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa CEO and manufacturing executive director Andreas Engling outlines the specifications of the new model.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa CEO Andreas Engling:

Tasneem Bulbulia:

Production of the previous C-Class, the W205, stopped in May. Mercedes-Benz South Africa has managed to start production of the new model right on time, despite the global disruption brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the announcement of the company’s R10-billion investment in 2018, the East London Plant has undergone numerous upgrades in preparation for the production of the new model. Engling elaborates on this.  

Mercedes-Benz South Africa CEO Andreas Engling:

Tasneem Bulbulia:

Engling highlights some of the benefits that production of the new model will provide.  

Mercedes-Benz South Africa CEO Andreas Engling:

Tasneem Bulbulia:

The roll-out of the new C-Class has created 600 new jobs at the East London plant.

Engling also outlines the company’s carbon emission targets, and how the East London plant, and production of the new C-Class, fits into this.  

Mercedes-Benz South Africa CEO Andreas Engling:

Tasneem Bulbulia:

At an event commemorating the start of production of the new C-Class, Mercedes-Benz Cars also announced an additional R3-billion investment into the East London plant. Engling expands on this.

Sashnee Moodley:

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.