General Motors South Africa

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General Motors South Africa (GMSA) was the South African arm of General Motors. It was based in Port Elizabeth (now called Gqeberha) and sold cars under the Chevrolet, Opel, and Isuzu brands. The company also built diesel locomotives from 1974 to 1987 and employed about 1,900 people.

GMSA was founded in 1913. It started by distributing Chevrolet vehicles, and in 1926 it began manufacturing and distributing GM brands in South Africa, starting with the Series AA. By the 1960s, the company also carried the Vauxhall brand and the Ranger, marketed as “South Africa’s Own Car.”

In 1986, GM sold GMSA to local management due to U.S. laws related to apartheid. The business then continued as the Delta Motor Corporation, using Opel, Isuzu, and Suzuki under license from GM and paying for assembly kits. After South Africa transitioned to democracy, GM bought a 49% stake in Delta in 1997, and in 2004 it became a wholly owned GM subsidiary again, returning to the GM South Africa name. The company also assembled vehicles for export to nearby markets in Africa and beyond.

GM announced plans to withdraw from the South African market on 18 May 2017. The Isuzu deal received approval from the Competition Commission on 27 November 2017. General Motors South Africa ceased its operations as a GM subsidiary in 2017.