BUILDING on the success of three consecutive editions since 2022, Naamsa, The Automotive Business Council announced that the 2025 SA Auto Week will be hosted in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, from 1 to 3 October.
The premier automotive thought leadership gathering in South Africa will be held in partnership with the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, marking a significant milestone as the event returns to its roots in the city where Naamsa was founded.
On behalf of the provincial government, Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane expressed delight in partnering with Naamsa to host the 2025 SA Auto Week in Gqeberha, highlighting the event’s potential to boost the province’s economic conditions. “We are ecstatic to form a partnership with Naamsa to host this lucrative event in our province, specifically in Gqeberha, a city that embodies our rich automotive heritage. As a province which hosts some of the biggest OEMs, with a 38% contribution to the country’s vehicle production, this opportunity is critical in fostering partnerships that will bring the much-needed investment into our provincial economy.” said Mabuyane.
Founded in 1935 in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha, Naamsa has long been a catalyst for the growth and organisation of South Africa’s burgeoning automotive industry. Nearly 90 years later, the organisation is returning to the city that embodies its origins, celebrating its rich industrial heritage and pioneering spirit.
The 2025 edition will take place at the Coega Vulindlela Accommodation and Conference Centre, a facility owned and operated by the Coega Development Corporation (CDC). Gqeberha’s strategic location and industrial legacy present a unique platform for industry stakeholders to engage with policymakers, forge new partnerships, and explore opportunities for regional development. This setting underscores the city’s evolution from modest assembly plants to a dynamic hub for automotive, logistics, and energy innovation poised to shape the future of mobility on the continent.
Where once modest assembly plants stood, factories are now embracing the future and evolving into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Coega Development Corporation has emerged with renewed intent to purposefully ignite regional development and global competitiveness through world-class infrastructure and industrial planning. Slowly but steadily, Coega’s visionary intentions
are transforming Gqeberha into an anchor point for automotive, logistics, and energy innovation. This setting is befitting of the next great chapter of South Africa’s mobility journey, Naamsa said in a media statement.
“It is profoundly symbolic that the SA Auto Week 2025 takes place in the city where Naamsa’s journey began. This historic city, now a model for reindustrialisation, will convene all of us in October to map the next chapter of African automotive excellence. It is our strongest conviction that the automotive industry will change faster in the next decade than it has in the last century, and that strong foundation for change will be laid in Gqeberha” said Mikel Mabasa, Naamsa CEO.
The CDC’s CEO, Themba Koza hailed the announcement as a defining milestone for the Coega SEZ and the Eastern Cape’s automotive ambitions. “Bringing SA Auto Week to Coega is more than just an event; it’s a powerful endorsement of what’s possible when visionary leadership, enabling policy, and industrial capability align. We are proud to host global automotive leaders and stakeholders at our world-class Special Economic Zone. This is a moment of pride for the Eastern Cape and a catalyst for future growth,” said Koza.
The Coega SEZ is rapidly emerging as South Africa’s premier Automotive Hub, offering integrated logistics, advanced infrastructure, and tailored investor support. It empowers OEMs, assemblers, and component manufacturers to streamline operations, reduce costs, and sharpen their competitive edge.
Strategically located in the Eastern Cape and inclusive of the Nelson Mandela Bay Logistics Park (NMBLP) in Kariega, the SEZ is home to leading global automakers such as BAIC and FAW Trucks, alongside top-tier component suppliers including Grupo Antolin, Faurecia, Hella, Rehau, and Schnellecke Automotive. With robust infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and a supportive investment climate, South Africa through Coega is poised to become a global player in automotive manufacturing. The synergies between automakers and suppliers are growing stronger, and Coega is at the heart of this transformation, according to the media statement.
“This will be one of Coega’s legacy projects,” Koza concluded. “We are honoured by the trust placed in us and look forward to building lasting partnerships that drive industrial excellence.”
Under the theme “Reimagining the Future, Together: Cultivating Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity,” the 2025 event aims to bring together over 1,200 delegates, including policymakers, manufacturers, suppliers, and investors, to shape a sustainable and competitive African automotive ecosystem. The programme will feature CEO Thought Leadership Roundtables, an NEV (New Energy Vehicle) Road Trip, Public Policy Masterclasses, SMME and Skills Development Showcases, the African Auto Indaba, and more.
Highlights will include the Premier’s Breakfast Colloquium, the Captain of Industry Gala Dinner, the Naamsa Accelerator Awards, and exhibitions showcasing cutting-edge mobility innovations from South Africa and across the globe. This gathering promises to be an unmissable platform for collaboration, innovation, and strategic insight into the future of mobility.
As the automotive industry accelerates into a new era of technological transformation, Naamsa’s 2025 SA Auto Week in Gqeberha will serve as a pivotal moment for industry leaders to chart a path toward inclusive growth and shared prosperity across Africa.
