In a press statement issued by NAAMSA (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa), on Tuesday 17 March, the SA automotive sector laid out the way forward in light of the Covid-19 crisis.

The CEO of major OEMs; together with a senior representative of Independent Vehicle Importers; and executive committee members of vehicle component manufacturers, met on Tuesday morning to discuss and reflect on the automotive industry’s collective response to Covid-19 and to consider the impact of some of the measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa last Sunday evening. From this point forward:

• All gatherings and meetings in auditoriums and other venues, where more than 100 people will attend, will be cancelled.
• All plant tours at vehicle manufacturing plants have been cancelled.
• Visitors, suppliers, customers, key stakeholders and members of the public will be expected to sign a Visitor Declaration Form when entering manufacturing plants or any of the automotive corporate offices.
• All industry-related meetings will be held online. Face-to-face meetings must be avoided unless necessary. Should a physical meeting be unavoided, they must comply with agreed protocols, (e.g. distance, hygiene, access regulations), and details must be recorded, (attendance register and adherence to hygiene requirements minuted).
• The number of seats in canteens will be reduced significantly and extended time slots for lunch breaks will be implemented to allow for smaller groups in canteen areas.
• Only hot meals will be served in disposable containers with disposable cutlery. No cold food preparation.

In addition, the measures include stringent workplace hygiene and a ban on all international travel until further notice.

In a separate statement on Friday, the SATMC said that its members would comply with the required regulations.