Car industry revs up in South Africa despite languishing economy

Johannesburg

AS South Africa's economy languishes near a recession, there is one major success story: the car industry.

While mining companies such as Anglo American Platinum Ltd and Lonmin plc are among businesses cutting jobs and output in Africa's most-industrialised economy, two of the world's biggest carmakers have announced investment of more than 10.5 billion rand (S$1 billion) in the past four months.