SOUTH Africa risks losing the bulk of its automotive exports unless the government implements policies to create an electric-vehicle manufacturing industry, according to Nissan’s Africa head.

Europe is the destination for about two-thirds of car exports from South Africa, which earned R202 billion from sending vehicles and components internationally in 2019. But with countries such as Germany moving toward mandating the use of cleaner cars, South Africa risks being left behind, Mike Whitfield, Nissan Africa’s managing director, said in an interview.

“A very large percentage of our exports as an industry go to Europe, and while Europe is moving aggressively to electric, we are not,” said Whitfield, who is also president of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers. “We are going to progressively lose our potential markets.” – Bloomberg