Tyre maker Goodyear is set to close its South African plant in the Eastern Cape after nearly eight decades of operations. The planned closure of its Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) plant marks a significant shift in the company’s regional operations and impacts hundreds of local workers.
The closure of Goodyear’s Kariega facility, which has been operational for 78 years, is scheduled for late 2025. It will affect approximately 900 employees across various departments. This decision forms part of the company’s broader strategy to optimise its footprint across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.
Goodyear South Africa’s transformation extends beyond manufacturing. The company plans to realign its sales, administration, and general management functions to better serve the local market while maintaining its commercial presence in the region.
Despite the plant closure, Goodyear adds it remains committed to serving South African customers. The restructuring aims to enhance operational efficiency while maintaining product availability through optimised distribution channels.
“As part of that transformation, Goodyear South Africa is launching a restructuring process in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Relations Act to address proposals regarding the closure of its manufacturing facility in South Africa and the realignment of certain sales, administration and general management (SAG) functions. Goodyear South Africa will continue to maintain a sales and distribution, and HiQ retail presence in South Africa,” it said.