As part of its centenary celebrations, the company donated a maths and science container lab to Agnes Chidi Primary School in Mamelodi.Today, the company employs approximately 5 500 people in the country, indirectly supporting around 60 000 jobs within the value chain.
The company's ongoing investment in local operations since 2009 amounts to around R27 billion, and it contributes significantly to the country's GDP. "This positions us as a major player in the country's economy and manufacturing sector, as well as a significant contributor to South Africa's employment," the company states on its website.
As part of its centenary celebrations, the company donated a maths and science container lab to Agnes Chidi Primary School in Mamelodi on Tuesday."What better way to celebrate than to give back to and uplift our communities? We decided, in collaboration with our partners, Maersk Shipping Company, Gift of the Givers, and the department of basic education, to donate mathematics and science labs.
They’ll be able to see math and science come alive, and we are in the fourth industrial revolution; our pupils will be exposed to some of that.Gift of the Givers’ Imtiaz Sooliman emphasised that collaborations like this between private entities, NGOs and government were essential for building the country.
"Special thanks to Ford, a foreign company investing in the country and believing in the future of our children. That’s how it should be," he said, adding:Ford has produced some iconic vehicles in South Africa, including the Cortina and Sierra. The Cortina outsold VW's Beetle, with 303 000 units sold.The company's famed half-tonne Bantam is still missed by the country's small business owners.