The R34-million-rand Alexandra automotive hub, which aims to help viable SMMEs in the sector enter the mainstream of the motor vehicle repair industry, is 80% complete.
Located at number 84 on 4th Street in Marlboro, Sandton, the Alexandra automotive hub is designed to attract private sector investment into the township to make backyard mechanics more economically profitable.
“There are a lot of informal mechanics that are operating in Alex. We want to empower them with training and certification so that they can start accessing the private market,” explains Nthangeni Morobedzi, a Senior Project Manager in the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA). The JDA is the custodian of the project.
The City’s MMC for Economic Development, Nkuli Mbundu, says the Alexandra automotive hub is a direct investment in a strategic sector of the local economy.
“The City plans to use this development to rejuvenate the automotive node in Alex as a catalyst for the regeneration of the industrial economy,” says Cllr Mbundu.
He adds that the City has forged partnerships with various local businesses and associations in the automotive industry to secure their future patronage.
“It was always with the intent to professionalise local businesses to grow, to stimulate the local economy and to build a facility that would enable them to scale their businesses beyond backyards,” says Cllr Mbundu.
The municipality also wants to enlist reputable automotive players, including parts distributors, to get involved in the operations of the Alexandra automotive hub to ensure the work done is dependable and trustworthy.
“We are bringing this facility to where people are, to where the skills are, to make sure mechanics comply with requirements from original vehicle manufactures,” says Morobedzi.
Spotting red clay face bricks, small green view windows, four large hard roller doors, and paving made of interlocked charcoal bricks, the facility boasts 17 units that service four types of mechanical work, including electrical, tire changing, panel beating and spray painting. It also has workshop or meeting rooms, toilets, a reception room, and ample parking. The building incorporates green designs, which minimise its environmental footprint.
“This facility is the last hope of a Black child staying in Alexandra and Marlboro. It is the only building that will improve the economy for the people of Region E, hence we plead with our municipality not to fail us,” says Tshepo Segokudi, a resident of Alex. Once complete, the Alexandra automotive hub will offer long term profitable jobs to locals, including SMMEs in the sector, who are the targeted beneficiaries.
The City hopes to have the automotive hub operational by mid-2022 to curb the high rate of unemployment in the area, especially for the youth.
Written by Gontse ‘GeE’ Hlophe
10/03/2022