Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) says its Prospecton plant, in Durban, should be back to full production at the end of September.
Assembly operations were suspended on April 12, owing to severe flooding at the factory and surrounding areas.
TSAM’s catalytic converter exhaust export facility was the first assembly line to return to production following mop-up operations, with work restarting on May 9.
The Hino truck plant followed on May 24 and the Hiace minibus line on July 15, with the Hilux and Fortuner lines resuming operations on July 21.
Corolla Cross production restarted at the end of July.
Corolla Quest assembly is scheduled to resume operations before the end of this month.
It is envisaged that the plant will return to full production – matching pre-flood levels – by the end of September.
TSAM sold 7 110 new vehicles in July – out of an industry total of 43 593 units – registering a market share of 16.3%.
Market Share While still being number one in the market, this percentage is significantly smaller than Toyota’s usual share, which is normally closer to 25% of the market.
“The incredible loyalty shown by our customers over the last few months has helped to re-energise and motivate us,” says TSAM sales and marketing senior VP Leon Theron.
“We are truly grateful to our colleagues at Prospecton in Durban for their massive efforts in reviving our plant.
“We are thankful to our fleet owners and the rental companies for their continued support in these trying economic times. “We are also grateful to our dealer network, as well as all Toyota staff, for their sterling efforts in making Toyota such a competitive brand.”