Nearly 500 Ford employees face retrenchment in Pretoria and Gqeberha

Mapaballo Borotho

Ford has announced it will retrench 470 employees in Pretoria and Gqeberha as part of a production realignment.
The cuts include 391 jobs in Silverton, 73 in Struandale, and 10 administrative positions.
Trade union Solidarity warned the move signals broader risks for South Africa’s automotive industry under current economic pressures.

Automaker Ford has confirmed that 470 employees at its South African operations will be retrenched, a move affecting workers in Pretoria and Gqeberha. The announcement was confirmed by trade union Solidarity.

The company said the job cuts form part of a production capacity realignment to better reflect current and anticipated market demands.

According to Ford, 391 operator positions will be terminated at its Silverton plant, along with 73 positions at Struandale and 10 administrative roles.

“We see this announcement as possibly the beginning of greater job losses facing the entire automotive industry in South Africa,” said Solidarity’s deputy general secretary, Willie Venter.

He attributed the retrenchments to mounting economic pressures, global political uncertainties, and what he described as government’s unfavourable policies that make the industry less competitive.

Venter warned that Ford’s move signals broader risks for the sector.

“When an automotive giant like Ford takes such drastic steps, it is a warning to the entire industry. We fear that further retrenchments may be inevitable if conditions do not improve quickly.”

Solidarity confirmed that it will participate in the consultation process, supervised by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

Venter stressed that the union would work to minimise job losses and ensure that affected employees are treated fairly.

“These retrenchments will seriously impact the communities in Pretoria and Gqeberha, and it is once again indicative of how vulnerable South African industries are under the current economic climate. Without serious intervention and economic reform from our government, our country will have to endure even more job losses,” Venter added.