Nelson Mandela Bay Hosts SA Auto Week 2025 to Drive Automotive Innovation and Job Protection
Nelson Mandela Bay has welcomed the 2025 edition of SA Auto Week, describing it as an opportunity to rebuild the automotive sector, forge partnerships and protect jobs. The city is currently hosting the event at the Coega Vulindlela Accommodation and Conference Centre in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, from 1–3 October 2025. Billed as South Africa’s premier automotive thought-leadership gathering, SA Auto Week is held in partnership with the Eastern Cape provincial government, marking a significant milestone to the city where the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (naamsa) was founded.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, welcomed the industry leaders, including investors, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs), Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), noting that the event and the partnerships can accelerate investment, skills development and inclusive industrialisation across the metro and province. Lobishe highlighted the significance of discussions on innovation, localisation, the new-energy transition and workforce development held on the opening day. “Nelson Mandela Bay is committed to ensuring these discussions translate into practical opportunities for our people, especially for SMMEs, youth and workers seeking re-skilling and placement,” she said.
The mayor also expressed concern over recent industrial job losses in the automotive value chain, pledging to work with government, labour representatives and industry stakeholders in expressing deep concern for affected workers and their families. “We will continue to push for collective, practical responses to protect livelihoods and create tangible re-employment pathways,” Lobishe said. Lobishe acknowledged service delivery challenges raised by auto sector companies regarding service delivery, particularly electricity reliability, street lighting, waste management and urban cleanliness. Lobishe announced that council has appointed nine companies, effective 01 October, to address streetlight outages across the metro.
In addition, the municipality is intensifying the War on Waste campaign in hotspot areas, ensuring that the city’s industrial zones, communities and economic corridors remain clean, safe and attractive to investors. “These interventions form part of our broader programme to restore confidence in Nelson Mandela Bay as a competitive investment destination,” Lobishe said. The municipality committed to: Convene an immediate stakeholder roundtable involving Coega Development Corporation, the provincial government, naamsa, labour (including organised unions) and affected SMMEs to agree on concrete short and medium-term interventions, including skills retraining, rapid SMME linkages and local procurement opportunities. Fast-track municipal support measures for SMMEs and suppliers to access SA Auto Week business linkages and buyer-seller platforms being hosted during the event. Work with provincial and national partners to secure re-skilling and placement programmes for retrenched employees and to promote new investments in the Coega SEZ and local supplier base.
Lobishe committed to improving service delivery infrastructure, from electricity reliability and water security to roads, street lighting and digital connectivity, “because these are the foundations for attracting and retaining investment.” “A competitive Nelson Mandela Bay depends on reliable services, efficient municipal systems and responsive governance. By fixing streetlights, intensifying our War on Waste, and stabilising core services, we are making service delivery a driver of job creation, industrial growth and inclusive development. “We welcome responsible investment, and we will hold investors and partners to a shared promise: growth must be inclusive, locally anchored and supportive of job retention and creation,” the mayor said.
Coega Development Corporation CEO, Themba Koza said SA Auto Week at Coega is more than an industry gathering, “It is a platform for rebuilding confidence, forging inclusive partnerships, and protecting the jobs that sustain our communities. At Coega, we are proud to host this catalytic event and reaffirm our commitment to driving investment, innovation and transformation in South Africa’s automotive sector,” Koza said. –
Event Overview and Significance for the Automotive Sector
SA Auto Week 2025, organised by naamsa, serves as the country’s leading platform for automotive thought leadership, bringing together over 500 delegates including global industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators. The three-day gathering focuses on critical themes such as the changing face of automotive retail, innovation in supply chains, localisation of manufacturing, the shift to new-energy vehicles, and workforce upskilling to meet future demands.
This year’s edition, held for the first time in Gqeberha, underscores Nelson Mandela Bay’s pivotal role as South Africa’s automotive hub, home to major OEMs like Volkswagen, Ford, and Isuzu, which contribute significantly to the national economy.
The event’s timing aligns with Transport Month, emphasising the sector’s contribution to job creation and sustainable growth. With South Africa’s automotive industry employing over 110,000 people and exporting vehicles worth R200 billion annually, SA Auto Week provides a space to address challenges like global supply disruptions, the transition to electric vehicles, and skills shortages. Discussions on day one included insights from partners like TransUnion on consumer trends in vehicle financing, highlighting how data can drive retail strategies in a digital age.
Tackling Job Losses and Economic Challenges
The automotive sector in Nelson Mandela Bay has faced tough times, with recent retrenchments at suppliers due to global slowdowns and local issues like load shedding. Lobishe’s pledge to convene a stakeholder roundtable aims to create quick interventions, such as retraining programmes and linking SMMEs to larger supply chains. This is crucial in a metro where the industry supports over 30,000 direct jobs and contributes R40 billion to the GDP.
Nationally, the sector grapples with the just energy transition, as coal-dependent areas shift to green tech. SA Auto Week sessions explored how to localise EV production, potentially creating 50,000 new jobs by 2030 through battery manufacturing and component assembly. Experts at the Indaba stressed partnerships between government, OEMs, and labour to protect livelihoods while embracing innovation, aligning with the Automotive Masterplan 2035 goals.
Service Delivery Improvements and Infrastructure Commitments
Lobishe addressed investor concerns head-on, admitting gaps in electricity, lighting, waste, and cleanliness that deter business. The appointment of nine companies to fix streetlights targets over 10,000 outages reported yearly, using LED tech for energy savings. The War on Waste campaign, ramped up in industrial zones, includes community clean-ups and recycling drives to cut illegal dumping, which costs the city R500 million annually.
Broader plans include upgrading digital connectivity for smart manufacturing and securing water through desalination projects. These steps support the Coega Special Economic Zone, which has attracted R50 billion in investments and created 20,000 jobs. By fixing basics, the city aims to make itself more appealing for auto expansions, like new assembly lines for hybrid vehicles.
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