Esther Buthelezi | Investment Conference must back SA carmakers amid China, India siege

This week's focus on South African investment is more than a routine check-in on our economic progress; it is a moment of profound urgency. As the government rallies to secure R2 trillion in new commitments over the next five years at the sixth annual South African Investment Conference (SAIC), we must recognise that we are at a crossroads.

While this conference is a vital culmination of ongoing drives between the state and the private sector, the reality is that we require a new level of focus. Without it, we will fail to capitalise on the very opportunities needed to spur national growth as a result of these investments.

And it is not a case of chicken-or-egg. The harsh reality is that not all investment is created equal.

Future capital flows into South Africa that are purely infrastructure-related (while undeniably necessary) may not have the same multiplier effect on job creation as direct industrial investment. What our country requires now is a multisectoral, multigenerational approach, managed with an almost extreme sense of urgency. We must act with a shared purpose to maintain our position as a globally competitive automotive manufacturing destination.

The need is twofold.

First, we must secure capital that specifically anchors industrial capacity. Second, we must secure the skills required to make those "first-capex" projects function and compete with the rapidly evolving manufacturing economies of the world. This is about much more than a "first-mover advantage"; it is about a critical alignment on our economic direction that builds on the foundations of the previous five-year investment cycle. And it is here that automotive companies like Ford play such a meaningful part. Over the last decade, we have announced and rolled out multi-billion rand investments, but these investments must now be allowed to drive the exponential growth they are intended to.

'Life lung'

In this time, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has made some of the largest capital investments in the history of the South African automotive industry. These investments have transformed the Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria and the Struandale Engine Plant in Ggeberha into high-tech, global export hubs.

These make the exact point that needs to be addressed at this year's SAIC. The automotive sector serves as a living, breathing "life lung" for the broader South African economy. We do not just build cars; we build communities, deep supply chains and industrial pillars. Currently, the sector contributes approximately 5.3% to the national GDP and supports over 115 000 direct jobs, with hundreds of thousands more in the secondary value chain. To put the scale into perspective, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa alone contributes a significant 1 percentage point of that 5.3% total.