Toyota SA is to invest R363 million in a massive parts distribution warehouse in Gauteng, the company announced.
"It is the largest investment we have made in Gauteng in our 50 years in South Africa," Toyota CEO and president Johan van Zyl said in a speech prepared for delivery.
It would support the R8 billion investment the company had made over the past five years in its plant at Prospecton, in Durban.
The new parts distribution warehouse -- at Parkhaven, behind the OR Tambo Airport -- would be developed in two phases to service Toyota's local and export markets.
The warehouse, the largest of its kind in Africa, would cover 80,000 square metres.
The first phase was set to be operational by May next year, with an annual forecast turnover of R3 billion.
The second phase was scheduled for completion by 2015.
Van Zyl said the warehouse would allow Toyota to improve the availability of service and replacement parts for all its vehicles, and -- through system and process efficiencies -- would contain the cost of parts.
"On a local level we believe that this new centre will allow us to better service the more than 220 dealers in southern Africa that sell and service Toyota, Lexus and Hino vehicles.
"In total this facility will process more than 375,000 lines of parts and components per month, and, apart from the local deliveries, it will also ship to 56 destinations in Africa and Europe," he said.
Over 800 people would be employed at the facility, although it was unclear how many of these would be new jobs.
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