Toyota South Africa Motors has warned that it could face stock challenges in the coming months as local and global supply-chain issues hit.<\/p>\n
The group, which sold close to 9,000 vehicles across the country in April, is still reeling from the disaster caused by floods in KwaZulu-Natal last month.<\/p>\n
“April is traditionally a slow month for retail due to the numerous public holidays \u2013 but the situation was compounded by the flooding at our plant in Prospecton, Durban.<\/p>\n
“We are anticipating stock challenges with regards to our locally-built models such as Hilux, Fortuner, Corolla Cross and Quest, Hiace Ses\u2019fikile and some Hino models,” said Leon Theron, the group’s senior vice president of sales and marketing.<\/p>\n
“A big thank-you to our customers for being patient with us. Please be assured that every single one of your orders is receiving the attention it deserves. We are a tough organisation, operating in a resilient nation – we will come back stronger.”<\/p>\n
Toyota’s Prospecton plant was heavily damaged by the floods and remains closed as the group prepares to restart operations. The group reportedly had to scrap <\/strong><\/a>thousands of water-damaged vehicles, while 500 units had passed inspection and would be retailed.<\/p>\n The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa indicated that the widespread flooding and damage to parts of KwaZulu-Natal in April is likely to place general logistics constraints on the country’s automotive sector.<\/p>\n The Port of Durban handles 60% of the country\u2019s shipments and transporting of goods and commodities to and from nations in the region as far north as the Democratic Republic of Congo. KwaZulu-Natal province is the second-biggest contributor to South Africa\u2019s gross domestic product.<\/p>\n The issue has been compounded by global supply-chain problems due to the lingering effects of the Cpovid-19 pandemic, a global chip shortage, the war in Ukraine and another shutdown in Shanghai.<\/p>\n
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