Local tyre industry calls for intervention on influx of cheap imports

Motheo Khoaripe speaks to Nduduzo Chala, Managing Executive at South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference about its plea for anti-dumping relief. 

Listen to the interview in the audio player below. 

The total demand for tyre sales in South Africa is 12 million units a year.

However, South African manufacturers are warning that that number is dwindling.

It's singled out the import of cheaper products, particularly from Asian producers is likely to raise prices by up to 41%.

The tyre manufacturing industry in South Africa flagging that those imports are impacting local business, and will also directly impact local consumers. 

The Goodyear factory in Kariega first started production almost 80 years ago, but it announced earlier this year that it will be closing down, with more than 900 workers at risk of losing their jobs as a result of the closure.

Nduduzo Chala, managing executive at South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) says the continued import of cheaper products has made the situation extremely dire. 

"The result is of the unfair trade that we have seen in the replacement of the domestic market in South Africa, because of cheap or unfair trading practices that we have seen, from China and other Asian markets such as Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam."

- Nduduzo Chala, managing executive - SATMC

South African local manufacturers in 2016, we used to have a local market share of greater than 60% of that 12-odd million tyres that are sold in the industry. As at last year in 2024, that reduced significantly to under 40%."

- Nduduzo Chala, managing executive - SATMC

"Of the 12 million tyres that are sold, the local producers only account for just under 5 million tyres of those sales."

- Nduduzo Chala, managing executive - SATMC

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.