Mahindra South Africa has joined the league of South African vehicle manufacturers with the opening of a state-of-the-art vehicle assembly facility in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The new vehicle assembly facility for Mahindra vehicles is located in the Dube Tradeport Special Economic Zone (SEZ) next to the King Shaka Airport in KwaZulu-Natal. Here the company will assemble the complete range of Mahindra Pik Up single- and double cab pick-ups.

The facility was constructed in partnership with AIH Logistics, a level 2-rated BBBEE company with proven credentials in the automotive sector. It represents an initial investment of R10 million in facilities and equipment.

According to Rajesh Gupta, the CEO of Mahindra South Africa, the decision to assemble vehicles in Durban follows Mahindra's exceptional growth since it first established an office here in 2004.

"Mahindra has grown significantly since the launch of its first models in South Africa. In the last five years alone, it has grown its market share by a compound annual growth rate of over 4.6% a year, which puts us in a league of the five fastest growing companies in the same period. Much of this growth was achieved in a declining market, which indicates our increased acceptance and popularity in the South Africa market," says Gupta.

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