Pretoria: Nelson Mandela Bay has welcomed the 2025 edition of SA Auto Week, describing it as an opportunity to rebuild the automotive sector, forge partnerships, and protect jobs. The city is currently hosting the event at the Coega Vulindlela Accommodation and Conference Centre in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, from 1-3 October 2025.
According to South African Government News Agency, SA Auto Week is billed as South Africa’s premier automotive thought-leadership gathering and is held in partnership with the Eastern Cape provincial government. This marks a significant milestone for the city where the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (naamsa) was founded. Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, welcomed industry leaders, including investors, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), noting that the event and partnerships can accelerate investment, skills development, and inclusive industrialisation across the metro and province.
Lobishe highlighted the significance of discussions on innovation, localisation, the new-energy transition, and workforce development held on the opening day. She emphasized the city’s commitment to ensuring these discussions translate into practical opportunities for local people, especially for SMMEs, youth, and workers seeking re-skilling and placement.
The mayor also expressed concern over recent industrial job losses in the automotive value chain. She pledged to work with government, labour representatives, and industry stakeholders to address the issue and support affected workers and their families. Lobishe stated, “We will continue to push for collective, practical responses to protect livelihoods and create tangible re-employment pathways.”
Lobishe acknowledged service delivery challenges raised by auto sector companies, particularly regarding electricity reliability, street lighting, waste management, and urban cleanliness. She announced that the council has appointed nine companies, effective 01 October, to address streetlight outages across the metro. Additionally, the municipality is intensifying the War on Waste campaign in hotspot areas to ensure that the city’s industrial zones, communities, and economic corridors remain clean, safe, and attractive to investors.
The municipality committed to convening an immediate stakeholder roundtable involving Coega Development Corporation, the provincial government, naamsa, labour (including organised unions), and affected SMMEs to agree on concrete short and medium-term interventions. These include skills retraining, rapid SMME linkages, and local procurement opportunities. The municipality will also fast-track support measures for SMMEs and suppliers to access SA Auto Week business linkages and buyer-seller platforms during the event.
Mayor Lobishe emphasized the need to improve service delivery infrastructure, from electricity reliability and water security to roads, street lighting, and digital connectivity, as foundational elements for attracting and retaining investment. She stated, “A competitive Nelson Mandela Bay depends on reliable services, efficient municipal systems, and responsive governance.”
Coega Development Corporation CEO, Themba Koza, highlighted that SA Auto Week at Coega is more than an industry gathering. “It is a platform for rebuilding confidence, forging inclusive partnerships, and protecting the jobs that sustain our communities. At Coega, we are proud to host this catalytic event and reaffirm our commitment to driving investment, innovation, and transformation in South Africa’s automotive sector,” Koza said.