BMW’s SA legacy drives the future

HUMAN-CENTRED TRANSFORMATION

- WILLEM VAN DE PUTTE

ILKA Horstmeier, the board of management member for BMW AG overseeing People, Real Estate, and Labour Relations, fondly recalls her visits to South Africa.

Having spent over three decades with the company, she has witnessed the evolution of BMW’s footprint in the country — not just as a production hub, but as a catalyst for progress.

At BMW’s Rosslyn Plant north of Pretoria, that legacy continues with the BMW X3 plugin hybrid, a model produced exclusively in South Africa for the world.

“Over all these years,” says Horstmeier, “South Africa has evolved, and now we are at a high production rate. It’s a viable and vital part of the BMW global network.”

Why the X3 Hybrid?

The decision to allocate production of the X3 hybrid to Rosslyn was not made lightly. Every new model’s production location within BMW’s global network is the result of a careful balancing act, including market demand, logistics, cost structure, and trade conditions.

“South Africa isn’t our largest market,” Horstmeier explains, “but the plant’s export capabilities and its skilled workforce make it an ideal choice. We also look at factors like free trade agreements, tariffs, and the competencies we want to enable in a plant. It’s a complex decision, but Rosslyn’s flexibility gives us resilience.”

That flexibility has paid off. BMW South Africa recently began exporting vehicles to Canada, showcasing the brand's ability to adapt within an ever-shifting global production environment.

Investing in people

For Horstmeier, BMW’s value lies beyond its factories or vehicles. “A company today should not only be measured by its economic success, it should also be measured by its contribution to society.”