DEKAT DIGITAL 2019 - 2020

ONGOING TRAINING
To continuously build and develop talent and elevate people globally to be at their very best at all times, about
10 years ago Toyota introduced an accelerated development programme to address concerns about the lack of
highly skilled female engineers, Witbooi says.
Potential candidates were then assigned international projects based in Japan and Thailand. This opportunity has
been extended to assignments positioned in various European affiliates – Turkey, Belgium, UK, Poland and France.
The latest assignments will now venture into India and USA.
“Similarly, Toyota South Africa has underlined its commitment to comprehensive and ongoing training and skills
development with the opening of dedicated state-of-the-art training facilities called TALA in Sandton and Durban.
The academy provides skills development opportunities for those employed by Toyota, its dealers, and suppliers
– all members of the extended Toyota family in South Africa.
“Our dealers are also encouraged to upskill previously disadvantaged staff (including departmental managers),
and from these individuals there will be a pool for both managers as well as dealer principals,” he adds.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Instead of focusing just on the BEE scorecard, TSAM strives to ensure participation, ownership and equity across
the full value chain, Witbooi explains.
“Toyota Purchasing has aligned its localisation and transformation activities. The imported component exhibitions
that were held offered opportunity to further increase the spend with local suppliers as well as offering an
opportunity to develop Black-owned suppliers at Tiers 2 and 3. The upcoming NAACAM show, where Toyota
has sponsored Black-owned suppliers, creates a platform for networking with the entire automotive community. It
offers an access to market opportunity for Black-owned suppliers. In an industry where economies of scale are a
significant success factor, this opportunity is invaluable.”
In partnership with Ubuntu Institute, TSAM has created 447 job opportunities for previously disadvantaged South
African youths. The initiative is in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for the private sector to play a
significant role in job creation through the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme. The initiative is part of the
Yes4Youth campaign, which is championed by Ramaphosa and driven by the private sector.
To support industrialisation on the continent, the Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS) has
partnered with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) to open a non-profit manufacturing institute in
KwaZulu-Natal. A team of leading academics – led by Professor Justin Barnes, TWIMS executive director – has
developed the manufacturing-focused curriculum.
The TWIMS campus was officially opened on 26 November by representatives from all tiers of government,
Toyota, GIBS, several leading academics, the Toyota SA Educational Trust, and members of the founding Wessels
family. TWIMS aims to become the hub for manufacturing research in Africa. For this purpose, it is creating
dedicated research fellows and is facilitating links with manufacturing research centres across the world.
In terms of business operations across the continent, Toyota would like to position itself as the mother plant in
Africa, Witbooi says.
INNOVATION
As president and CEO of TMC, Toyoda also made the pursuit of building better-driving cars a top priority for Toyota,
Witbooi points out.
294