Year-end global sales results for Toyota Motor Corpora- tion (TMC) rank Toyota South Africa in the top ten in Toyota’s key world markets, including Japan. The total global sales for Toyota for 2007 were 8 429 422 vehicles. Of that total, 2 620 826 were delivered in North America and 1 587 335 in Japan.

The next-largest region was China with 499 230 vehicles sold. Toyota South Africa was ranked ninth in total sales with a contribution of 152 821 sales, marginally ahead of Indonesia. This total excludes export sales by Toyota South Africa of 59 378 vehicles for the year. Toyota South Africa’s total of domestic and export sales for 2007 were 212 559 vehicles, or 3,1% of the total sales by TMC, outside Japan.

When Japanese domestic sales are excluded to provide a ranking of export markets only, Toyota South Africa is ranked eighth, with total export sales for TMC at 6 842 087.

“Viewed in the context of Toyota South Africa’s position in TMC’s global markets, the importance of South Africa as a top-ten global market for the company is apparent. Toyota South Africa’s performance as the market leader in South Africa for the past 28 years has been fundamental in the development of Toyota South Africa as a significant manufacturing hub that feeds into the Toyota global vehicle manufacturing network,” Toyota South Africa president and CEO Johan van Zyl says.

He says that this supports the TMC philosophy of manufacturing vehicles as close as possible to the markets in which they are distributed. In Toyota South Africa’s case, this represents markets in Africa and Europe.

“As we progress through 2008, the full impact of the massive investment that has taken place in Toyota South Africa over the last five years will be realised, as we ramp up to our full designed production capacity of over 200 000 vehicles a year.

At that time, the planned schedule is for us to effectively produce one vehicle for export for every one produced for the local market,” Van Zyl comments.

He continues to say that the effec- tiveness of the programme can be judged by the fact that Toyota South Africa has entrenched itself, not only as the largest vehicle manu- facturer on the African continent, but also as the leading exporter of vehicles in South Africa. In 2007, the company’s export sales totalled 59 378, or 34,7% of all vehicle exports from South Africa.

“This was achieved with more to come as we prepare for the full-scale export of the Corolla to European market destinations. “The current exports of the Corolla, which began in the latter part of 2007, reflect units delivered to Africa only.

“Deliveries to European destinations will start during the first quarter of 2008 as Toyota South Africa builds up to its full export potential of over 100 000 vehicles a year. TMC has a forecast for overseas production (excluding Japan) in 2008 of 4,58-million vehicles. Toyota South Africa will contribute more than 4% to that production total,” Van Zyl concludes.

TMC has forecast worldwide production of Toyota vehicles for 2008 to be 8,88 million. In addition, the company expects production of Hino trucks to be 950 000 for the year and production of Daihatsu vehicles, a company in which TMC has a controlling share, to be 120 000 for a group total of 9,95-million.