Gauteng is looking to secure its place on Africa’s map in terms of the production of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), setting an agenda that will see a green transport revolution across the continent.
Under the leadership of Gauteng Department of Economic Development, via the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA), the province is translating big ideas into reality; from policy to production and from vision to economic reality.
In September 2025, Gauteng MEC for Economic Development and Finance Lebogang Maile laid the foundation in an address at a dialogue with the automotive industry.
There, he outlined the province’s ambition to turn Gauteng into the hub of Africa’s automotive industry – and NEVs have to play an important role in this.
Gauteng already accounts for a third of the country’s automotive manufacturing output.
In 2024, the automotive industry contributed 5.2% towards South Africa’s GDP, with 110 000 direct jobs – 33 154 in the original equipment manufacturers and 81 860 people employed by component manufacturers.
It is also home to three original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), BMW, Ford and Nissan – all based in the City of Tshwane – as well as automotive development hubs such as the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) and the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ).
Together, Gauteng’s OEMs produced 1.8 million vehicles between 2014 and 2023, accounting for 32.8% of South Africa’s vehicle production, and, according to the naamsa (the Automotive Business Council), Gauteng’s automotive sector is expected to gain momentum, especially with the establishment of the Tshwane Automotive City.
Making sure the vision becomes concrete, the GGDA, along with the AIDC and TASEZ, is hosting the 2025 NEV Summit to drive Gauteng towards a green automotive economy, providing insights into trends and innovations across the NEV sector.
A strong manufacturing sector
For decades, South Africa has powered Africa’s automotive industry. Yet the global automotive landscape is shifting rapidly. The European Union’s carbon neutrality commitments are reshaping trade and market access, making low- or zero-emission vehicles essential for competitiveness.
NEVs are no longer optional, they are essential to South Africa’s continued participation in global markets and will play a significant role in meeting the target set in the South African Automotive Master Plan (SAAM 2025) to manufacture 1% of the global automotive output.
Against this backdrop, the NEV Summit will unite manufacturers, investors, policymakers and innovators to accelerate South Africa’s NEV transition.
It is where strategies from the SAAM 2035 and Electric Vehicle White Paper move from the drawing board to the production line.
As South Africa’s industrial heartland, Gauteng – which produces a vehicle every three minutes – offers a complete ecosystem with world-class logistics, skilled labour, top universities, and a strong innovation network that is capable of driving the green mobility revolution forward.
Through its focus on localisation, battery manufacturing, and value chain integration, Gauteng offers Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and investors a ready-made base for the NEV industry.
Gauteng’s proactive approach positions South Africa as both compliant with international climate goals and competitive within the global market.
Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have; it is now a core driver of industrial success.
Building skills for the future
The shift to NEVs also demands new skills – from battery technology to software development and recycling innovation. Gauteng’s education and training institutions, supported by the GGDA, AIDC and TASEZ, are already preparing the workforce for this next-generation economy.
The province is not only building factories, it is building people, ensuring that the transition is inclusive and sustainable.
Gauteng’s ambition extends beyond South Africa’s borders.
With Africa’s rich reserves of lithium, cobalt, and manganese – critical for battery production – the province aims to localise value-add and establish itself as the gateway for Africa’s NEV value chain.
This also fits neatly in the target set in the SAAM 2025 to raise localisation to 60% by the middle of the next decade.
By creating a connected network of automotive and energy hubs across the continent, Gauteng is laying the groundwork for Africa to lead the continent’s green transition.
The NEV Summit 2025 will showcase how Gauteng is driving this transition, demonstrating that green growth and industrial expansion are not opposites, they are on the same route.