Johannesburg - Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane says the support for the automotive industry in the province has seen the retention of hundreds of jobs at the time the sector was experiencing difficulties.
This comes as Ford South Africa is preparing to launch a multi-billion rand investment to expand capacity at its Silverton plant. The expansion will see the company producing more vehicles for export market.
Addressing the Gauteng Legislature on Tuesday, Mokonyane described the decision as "a further expression of confidence" in the future of the South African economy.
"More importantly it confirms the correctness of our decision o invest public money to support the growth of the automotive industry in Gauteng," she said.
The provincial government will be spending R105 million to build a supplier park in Silverton for the previously disadvantages suppliers.
The Automotive Industry Development Centre, a subsidiary of investment company Blue IQ, has also announced 300 new recruits by Ford, who have now completed their training.
Meanwhile, Mokonyane said education authorities have approved registration of up to 384 new Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres since the beginning of the year to cater for the growing number of learners in the sector.
Subsidies were granted to more than 2 600 ECD institutions as part of efforts to achieve universal access to Grade R by 2014. A further 284 sites will be registered before the end of the current financial year while more than 800 practitioners in ECD received accredited training.
