Scania marks 30 years in SA with new Regional Product Centre

Scania SA is celebrating 30 years in SA. The Swedish commercial vehicle brand has marked the occasion with the opening of the new Regional Product Centre (RPC) within its Aeroton, Johannesburg, assembly plant.

This milestone comes a year after relocating its administrative head office to Constantia Kloof in 2024. Scania’s journey in SA began in 1995 when a wholly owned subsidiary housing the head office and assembly plant was established in Elandsfontein, east of Johannesburg. In 2003 the company moved its operations to Aeroton. We visited the 10,000m² facility to see how it operates.

The new RPC will enhance service efficiency, streamline product distribution and support customers with transport solutions, according to the company. Christian Håkansson is the RPC manager is Christian Håkansson and Erik Bergvall the MD. The company says that parts distribution that allows for faster turnaround times in assembling product and an enhanced recycling system are some of the expected efficiencies.

The MD says 98% of waste is being salvaged on the premises due to consolidating the warehouse and assembly plant in a common space. The spin-offs include a decrease of the company’s carbon footprint, with the introduction of newer, greener parts packaging envisaged for more eco friendliness.

Scania SA has the capacity to fully assemble 3,200 units a year, including trucks and bus chassis. It was fascinating to watch the piecing together of the latest NTG model trucks, which a senior manager candidly described as “putting together a giant Lego set”.

The company built a total of 39,250 units between 1995 and 2024. The company has about 83 employees that band together to build the behemoths to world-class standards, mostly by hand.

The size of the SA facility doesn’t require advanced automation as expected of a modern vehicle plant, but the process and quality expectations are closely guarded by the stewards and the Stockholm headquarters, according to Scania SA. 

Truck and bus parts, including the sizeable engines, transmissions and much more are imported into SA in complete knock-down state then transported by road to the facility where the technicians complete the sets. The company says between 14 and 18 trucks are produced in a day.

Asked if there are any future plans to upgrade the facility to handle the assembly of electric trucks, Bergvall says his company hasn’t introduced any of the new energy trucks as yet but mentions that the brand has been testing a fully electric truck in conjunction with a large local supermarket chain.

Data from the prototype testing and demand from SA fleet owners will determine the viability or decision to market. For now, the Scandinavian brand says it is focused on polishing its assembly, services and product line-up.

“We are thrilled to inaugurate our new RPC, which will play a key role in supporting our customers and reinforcing our strong presence in Southern Africa. As we celebrate 30 years in SA, this expansion signifies our long-term commitment to our customers, employees, and partners.”