Ford has announced that it will invest $209 million into the expansion of its South African operations. The investment — which will be split between Ford’s Silverton, Pretoria and Struandale, Port Elizabeth factories — will go towards the production of a new diesel engine and compact pickup truck.
Ford’s Struandale plant will begin producing the new Puma diesel engine in 2010, with the automaker’s Silverton plant scheduled to produce the new compact pickup in 2011.
The new investment will also create 500 new jobs by 2011.
However, don’t look for either product to make it to the U.S. In fact, Ford has already announced that it will stop offering its compact Ranger pickup in the U.S. after 2009.
The investment further proves that domestic automakers are looking to overseas markets to keep their finances in the black, and Ford CEO Alan Mulally even said that he expects the Dearborn automaker to do about two-thirds of its business outside the U.S. in the coming years.
