FMCSA Ford

About Ford in South Africa

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, known as FMCSA or Ford South Africa, makes and sells Ford vehicles in the region. Its main assembly plant stands in Silverton, Pretoria, at Gate 2 on Simon Vermooten Road. The plant opened in 1967 and today builds the Ford Ranger bakkie, both for local buyers and for export to more than 100 markets worldwide. Ford has also announced a very large investment of about R15.8 billion in the plant and its suppliers for the latest Ranger.

The company's other key site is the Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha, which opened in 1964 and has produced more than four million engines. It makes the diesel engines that go into the Silverton-built Ranger. Ford South Africa employs roughly 5,500 people across its operations. Building a bakkie takes skills in welding, painting, assembly, quality control and logistics, so the plants hire across many trades. Many more jobs depend on its suppliers and dealers.

How Ford supports students

Ford has several routes into the company for young South Africans. Earlier bursary listings said FMCSA sponsors top final-year students so they can complete their qualifications. The fields named included mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering, finance, marketing, human resources, purchasing, supply chain management and information technology. Chartered accountancy candidates with a BCom Honours and the CTA were also mentioned.

Bursary holders may be considered for the graduate trainee programme after they finish. According to earlier descriptions, it runs for about 24 months and rotates graduates through different departments. Ford also offers learnerships, apprenticeships and experiential training. At the Silverton plant, the company says it has helped thousands of learners earn qualifications in areas such as automotive manufacturing and assembly, mechatronics, fitting, autotronics and business administration over a five-year period.

What to know before applying

Ford advertises its opportunities on the careers page of its South African website, and that page is the place to check for open programmes. Dates, fields and requirements change with each intake, and none are confirmed here. Older third-party pages may show closing dates that have passed.

Prepare your documents in advance. You will probably need a certified ID copy, your latest academic results, proof of registration and a motivation letter. Technical programmes often value strong marks in mathematics and physical sciences. Ford's work-back terms for bursaries are not confirmed here, so read any contract with care. If you are interested in the artisan route, look for the apprenticeship and learnership notices on the same page. These are a good option if you prefer practical, hands-on training to a university degree.