BMW South Africa has a business unit that employs more people than its vehicle production facility at Rosslyn in Pretoria and is projected to contribute R4 billion to the South African economy this year through foreign exchange earnings.
The BMW IT Hub, one of four business units within the group alongside BMW Plant Rosslyn, the national sales company, and financial services, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Wednesday.
Established in 2006 at the Rosslyn plant with only 12 employees, the BMW IT Hub is now based in Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, and has grown its workforce to about 1 500 technology professionals.
They manage everything from production line data and customer-facing platforms to 134 BMW locations worldwide and have transformed the hub into a cornerstone of the BMW Group’s global digital ecosystem.
SA talent at the centre
Thorsten Achenbach, director of the BMW IT Hub, said it began as an idea built around highly skilled technology professionals in South Africa and has since become a “hidden gem” within the BMW Group.
Achenbach said the hub’s 20th anniversary reflects BMW’s commitment to transforming local potential into global innovation, while ensuring South Africa remains a key architect of the BMW Group’s digital journey.
He said the hub has on its journey collaborated closely with the University of Pretoria and University of Stellenbosch and other leading academic institutions.
BMW milestone
BMW South Africa CEO Peter van Binsbergen said the milestone is a testament to the world-class talent available in South Africa.
“The hub has evolved from a support centre into a global innovation powerhouse, and as we lean further into AI and data-driven mobility, our Pretoria team will be at the very heart of BMW Group’s digital future,” he said.
BMW AG board member for customer, brands and sales Jochen Goller said the hub is important for South Africa and the BMW Group.
Goller said that in 1972 BMW established its first plant outside Germany in Rosslyn and later set up its first IT hub in South Africa – not only for its local operations but for the world, which shows the country’s technological talent.
Lesufi believes in BMW’s vision
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the Gauteng government welcomes the BMW SA IT Hub’s vision, which aligns with the province’s key development goals.
He said the provincial government’s economic development plan articulates a long-term vision to build a dynamic, inclusive and globally competitive provincial economy that drives sustainable industrialisation, decent employment and spatial transformation.
Lesufi said the hub has grown into a key part of BMW Group’s global technology network, while also supporting skills development and job creation locally.
“This phenomenal growth will contribute to unlocking economic growth and job creation as envisioned in Gauteng’s MTDP [medium-term development plan] and economic plan.”
He added that Gauteng province will continue to work with the private sector to enhance the prospects of growth and development in the province, and congratulated the hub on its “remarkable contribution to innovation and digital transformation in Gauteng over the last 20 years”.
Economic impact
BMW South Africa general manager for customer, brands and sales Jan Lotter said that when the hub was established in 2006, it was called SAP Shared Services.
Its first big project involved transferring SAP knowledge from Rosslyn to plants being ramped up in China.
Lotter said the IT Hub’s turnover of R4 billion in 2026 is entirely foreign exchange earnings.
“We sell all our services to BMW Munich, so this is a foreign investment into South Africa by BMW, and from here [South Africa] we service BMW throughout the world.”
He said the hub has grown every year since its establishment and does not focus on in-vehicle IT support, development and operations, but rather on business systems, covering software in all disciplines including plants, platforms, and sales and marketing environments.
Collaboration is necessary
The key ingredient in the hub’s success is collaboration, he added.
“As soon as you deliver globally, you interact with diverse cultures, processes, and people. Because our ‘hubsters’ have the good old South African experience of living in a diverse environment and also interacting in a diverse environment, they are proving to be very successful global leaders.
“To make things very practical, we are in the same time zone as Munich, so it makes so much sense to have a partner in the same time zone.
“We are amazing partners with the BMW Group, and because we have four business units close to one another, we have a very good business understanding end-to-end … [which] has enabled the IT Hub to support our business partners globally on their journey.”
This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
