Goodyear has confirmed the shutdown of its 78-year-old manufacturing plant in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage), Nelson Mandela Bay, putting 900 jobs at risk.
The closure marks the latest in a worrying trend in South Africa’s manufacturing sector – tyre companies are pulling out one by one, leaving economic destruction and deep uncertainty in their wake.
Roughly 900 workers are at risk of losing their jobs, with thousands more in surrounding industries expected to feel the knock-on effects.
The Goodyear factory, once a symbol of industrial strength since opening its doors in 1947, will cease all local production operations as the company shifts focus to streamlining its footprint across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In a statement, Goodyear South Africa explained it will continue to operate its sales, distribution, and Hi-Q retail branches, but its manufacturing days are over.
“This proposal is in no way a reflection of the commendable efforts or the years of dedication of our South Africa team,” Goodyear stated, adding that the process will be facilitated through the CCMA in line with Section 189A of the Labour Relations Act.
But this isn’t just Goodyear’s problem, it’s an industry-wide crisis. The closure comes hot on the heels of Conti-tech’s exit earlier this year, and follows the Bridgestone shutdown more than four years ago. What’s driving the exodus? According to stakeholders, it’s a lethal cocktail of municipal failure, crippling infrastructure, security costs, and cheap tyre imports flooding the market.
Denise van Huyssteen from the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber noted the increasingly hostile environment for manufacturers.
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“The situation is dire. From load-shedding to water issues and an inflow of low-cost imported tyres, our local producers are being squeezed out,” she said.
Nduduzo Chala, from the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference, echoed these concerns. He blamed unfair trade conditions and sluggish government response to anti-dumping pleas, which have only recently started targeting tyre imports from China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
As factories close and jobs disappear, one thing is clear – South Africa’s tyre industry is running on dangerously thin tread. Unless urgent action is taken to support local manufacturing, the country may soon find itself fully dependent on imports, with the economic cost falling squarely on the shoulders of workers and their communities.
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