Mahindra has announced that four years after it opened the doors of its South African assembly plant, the company has surpassed the momentous milestone of building 10,000 units of the Pik Up.
The news shortly follows another achievement, this being the fact that Mahindra has, for the first time, averaged over 1,000 sales per month for the first quarter of 2022, with the Pik Up being the most popular choice for local buyers.
“The past four years have been tough with the Covid pandemic, riots in KwaZulu-Natal, the recent floods that ravaged this province, and the ongoing challenge with components and global shipping,” said Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.
“This is a significant milestone for Mahindra, our team, and our partners.”
Building the Pik Up in South Africa
Mahindra’s assembly plant in the Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone outside Durban started its life in May 2018 with one assembly line and an extremely limited line-up of vehicles.
The factory quickly reached its peak single-shift production capacity, said Mahindra, and it therefore added several additional models, special editions, and customised vehicles to its brochure of offerings.
These specialised bakkies include the Pik Up Ambulance, Pik Up Game Viewer, and Pik Up Mining, and they are designed and built in partnership with Mahindra Special Fitment centre in Gauteng.
“The facility has enabled us to adapt to market needs and to serve our bakkie customers faster,” said Gupta.
“For instance, our special Farmer’s Edition sold out within days of its launch and our Karoo and new Karoo Dusk, Dawn, and Storm models are now available, thanks largely to the local assembly facility.”
Demand for the Pik Up far outstrips supply, and Mahindra will soon expand its production to help shorten waiting lists, he said.
The Pik Up has been one of the country’s fastest-growing bakkie offerings and has sat among the best-selling models in the single and double-cab segments since its launch.
Assembly of the 10,000th Mahindra Pik Up
Keyword: How many Mahindra Pik Ups have been built in South Africa