Two of the Eastern Cape’s biggest automotive manufacturers have received several awards for their contribution to exports, local production, environmental sustainability and community investment, as the province’s vehicle industry works to remain competitive in international markets.
Isuzu Motors South Africa and Volkswagen Group Africa were recognised at the 2026 Eastern Cape Exporter of the Year Awards, hosted by Exporters Eastern Cape on 6 November 2026. The awards, now in their 32nd year, recognise businesses that contribute to the provincial economy through international trade, employment creation and responsible business practices.
The recognition puts renewed focus on the importance of manufacturing in the Eastern Cape, where the automotive sector is closely tied to exporters, component suppliers and workers. It also comes at a time when South Africa’s vehicle manufacturers face pressure to strengthen their international competitiveness, expand local sourcing and protect access to export markets.
Isuzu takes three awards
Isuzu received three accolades, including the Best Exporter Original Equipment Manufacturer award. The company also received the SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award and the Community Chest Corporate Social Investment Merit Award.
The awards recognised different parts of the company’s operations, from the production of vehicles for overseas markets to its environmental performance and investment in communities. For people and businesses connected to the manufacturing chain, the significance lies not only in the trophies but in the activity behind them: factory output, supplier capability and the effort to source more components locally.
During its 2025/26 financial year, Isuzu reported a 21% year-on-year increase in combined production at its Struandale manufacturing facility in Gqeberha. The plant produced more than 27,400 D-MAX bakkies and about 3,800 trucks.
| Measure | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Production growth at Struandale | 21% year on year |
| D-MAX bakkies produced | More than 27,400 |
| Trucks produced | About 3,800 |
| D-MAX export reach | More than 30 African countries |
| Supplier tooling investment | R510 million |
Local suppliers form part of export strategy
Isuzu said its D-MAX bakkies were exported to more than 30 African countries, extending the reach of production from the Gqeberha facility beyond the domestic market. The company also invested R510 million in supplier tooling and capability development during the financial year.
That investment funded 729 tools across its supplier network and enabled the production of 250 locally sourced components. The figures reflect the practical work involved in localisation: suppliers need the equipment and technical capacity to produce parts that meet the requirements of a major vehicle manufacturer.
For the province, stronger supplier capability can support a broader industrial base around the assembly plant. It also provides a measure of how automotive companies are responding to the policy and market pressure to increase local content while continuing to serve customers outside South Africa.
“Through local manufacturing, supplier development, localisation efforts, skills development and community initiatives, we support economic opportunities that benefit the Eastern Cape and South Africa,” said Celestin Ndhlovu, Isuzu’s executive vice-president for corporate services.
Volkswagen recognised for sustainability and social investment
Volkswagen Group Africa received two awards at the ceremony. The company was recognised for environmental sustainability and corporate social investment, placing its manufacturing and community programmes alongside its role as an exporter.
These categories are significant for communities living alongside large industrial operations. Environmental performance concerns the footprint of production, while social investment reflects the ways companies direct resources beyond their core commercial activities. The awards acknowledge both areas, although the source material does not provide further detail on the specific projects or results associated with Volkswagen’s honours.
Isuzu also reported a 38% reduction in direct and purchased emissions, according to the information provided for the awards. The available details do not specify the baseline, measurement period or the full range of actions behind the reduction, but the figure formed part of the company’s environmental recognition.
Industry under pressure to stay competitive
The awards come as South Africa’s automotive manufacturing industry faces growing pressure to maintain export markets, improve competitiveness and increase localisation. Those challenges affect more than vehicle brands. They also reach component manufacturers, logistics companies, technical workers and other businesses connected to the production chain.
For the Eastern Cape, the continued performance of manufacturers in Gqeberha carries particular weight because export activity links provincial production to customers and markets elsewhere in Africa and internationally. The companies’ recognition therefore reflects both corporate performance and the broader role of manufacturing in the province’s economic prospects.
- Isuzu won three awards, including the Best Exporter OEM award.
- Volkswagen Group Africa received recognition for environmental sustainability and corporate social investment.
- Isuzu reported increased production, exports to more than 30 African countries and R510 million in supplier tooling investment.
Exporters Eastern Cape’s annual awards provide a platform for measuring that contribution across the business community. This year’s recognition of the two automotive manufacturers underlines how exports, local supplier development, environmental responsibility and community investment are increasingly connected in the province’s industrial economy.
