Goodyear closed a plant in South Africa

On June 22, the Goodyear tire plant in Uitenhage officially halted production, ending its 78-year history. The facility produced tires for passenger and light commercial vehicles, as well as off-road and specialist vehicles, with a capacity of up to 10,000 tires per day.

The plant's closure was part of Goodyear's restructuring in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region, leaving three tire factories in South Africa, owned by Bridgestone, Continental, and Sumitomo companies.

The Uitenhage plant employed 900 people, who will each receive 100,000 rand (approximately $5,800) plus four weeks' pay for each year of service and other payments, which is a significantly larger amount compared to Goodyear's initial offer, the union notes.

The Uitenhage plant was Goodyear's only tire production facility in Africa.

Photo: businesstech.co.za