Three billion rand. Three years. Zero cars rolling off the line. The Stellantis assembly plant in the Coega Industrial Development Zone, tucked into Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa‘s Eastern Cape, is the kind of project that looks bulletproof and considerably less so in real life.
The original plan was straightforward enough: assemble the Peugeot Landtrek from CKD kits, in batches of 50,000 units destined for export, scalable up to 90,000 over time. A government-backed agreement with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. A launch target set for late 2025. Then reality filed a counter-proposal.
The facility has been sitting idle since 2024, after Stellantis quietly hit the pause button to rethink the entire production strategy. Mike Whitfield, CEO of Stellantis South Africa, has been candid about it: “a single pickup truck doesn’t make the plant viable”.
The fix, according to Whitfield, involves adding two more models to the Coega lineup, names still to be officially confirmed, with a decision expected by the end of June. What he has ruled out, firmly, is sharing the facility with another automaker, shutting down speculation about a potential joint venture with Mercedes or Great Wall Motors that had been circulating in industry circles.
Given that Stellantis operates a wide brand portfolio in South Africa, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, Fiat, Jeep, Opel, Peugeot, and Chinese newcomer Leapmotor, the candidate list isn’t short. Opel looks like the most logical fit: the Corsa, Astra, and Corsa Utility all had local production history. The incoming Frontera SUV and a potential Astra comeback are the names most frequently mentioned.
Further down the probability curve sit the Fiat Strada, the Fiat Titano, and the Ram 1200, all sharing the Landtrek’s platform, all built for right-hand-drive markets, all still firmly in the “interesting idea” column.
End of June is the deadline. That’s when Stellantis is expected to present a complete feasibility study. Until then, Coega remains exactly what it is: a very expensive, very empty room full of potential and short on product.
