Eskom’s De Ruyter sees SA as anchor market for electric cars
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter says South Africa needs to anchor itself a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles for export and domestic use.
De Ruyter made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the Hendrik van der Bijl Memorial Lecture hosted by the University of Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon.
He believes the already existing demand for electric cars will help drive investment in manufacturing capacity.
“But then we need to adjust our trade policy, in particular import duties currently sitting at 45%, and that has limited growth in the development in the EV market.
“We are keen to act as an anchor market for electric vehicles, not least because we see it as an important growth opportunity for the business.”
Eskom is already actively involved in the electric vehicle sector as the primary electricity supplier for vehicle charging.
De Ruyter believes a rejuvenated industrial economy is the best way to create jobs for a country plagued with unemployment.
He added pivoting to greener energy will create a competitive advantage for SA exports.
“This therefore calls for South Africa to take the lead to exploit this opportunity and produce electric vehicles for export, as well for domestic use.”
Listen to de Ruyter below:
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