German-headquartered carmaker BMW has unveiled a new logo in South Africa to mark its 50-year celebrations.
The luxury automaker has released a new logo and it is a brand new Ndebele art-inspired marketing BMW South Africa emblem.
To mark this milestone, BMW released the emblem that is inspired by a work of art crafted by South African traditional Ndebele artist Dr. Esther Mahlangu.
The new logo will be used in all communication of BMW Group South Africa’s fiftieth-anniversary celebrations throughout this year.
BMW South Africa’s Rosslyn factory, in South Africa, started operations in March 1973 after the German vehicle manufacturer decided to branch outside of Germany for the first time and invest in an existing multi-purpose factory that, at the time, made BMW-badged vehicles and even Willy’s Jeeps.
The group production board member and BMW South Africa chairperson Milan Nedeljković said, as the first plant outside Germany, the emotional link to South Africa with its Rosslyn plant is “very strong”.
“It was our first step to internationalise BMW,” he said
CEO Peter van Binsbergen says Plant Rosslyn is an iconic production facility within the BMW Group, and BMW South Africa is a global success story for the business.
“Plant Rosslyn represents a cornerstone of the BMW Group’s global production network of more than 30 sites in 15 countries. We built BMW 3 Series here for more than 30 years – a period that included the production of the iconic 333i and the cherished 325iS ‘Gusheshe’,” he said.
“BMW South Africa benefited from the successful adoption of a government-endorsed export programme from 1995 before transitioning to an ‘X’ plant in 2018.”
Over the years, the BMW Plant Rosslyn has produced iconic cars unique to South Africa. Products such as the BMW 2000 SA, BMW 745i, BMW 530 MLE, BMW 333i, as well as the BMW 325iS, have laid the basis for the typical BMW brand to become genuinely South African.
The 4.4 km2 plant, comprising a 3.2 km2 factory and 1.2 km2 distribution centre, has since seen investments totalling R12.6-billion since 1995, which have resulted in the local division winning the JD Power Gold Award for JD Power Initial Quality Study in 2002, and a total output of 1.6-million vehicles – according to Engineering News.
“More importantly, in 2015, we won [the JD Power Initial Quality Study] award again – [this time] the Platinum Award, [making BMW South Africa] the best [automotive] plant in the world,” says BMW South Africa painted body GM Danny Bester.
“lant Rosslyn has over the past 50 years proven itself to be an essential member of our production network, consistently improving quality and productivity. The passion for the brand is clear, and the right teams with the right spirit are in place to direct its growth for the next 50 years,” added Nedeljković.
Since its establishment in South Africa, and in addition to BMW Plant Rosslyn, BMW South Africa’s business currently includes a national sales company that sells and distributes BMW, MINI, and BMW Motorrad, a financial services company established in 1990, and a software company (or information technology hub) servicing more than 50 countries.
