Toyota SA has joined other Toyota manufacturing plants around the world in saying that production at its Prospecton assembly plant in Durban will stay at 100 percent of planned levels throughout May - and will continue at the same pace for June, July and August with possible increases planned after that to satisfy increasing market demand.
This after similar announcements from Toyota subsidiaries in Europe, the US and Australia; Toyota US says production in this key market will return to 70 percent of planned capacity in June, from only 30 percent of normal production levels in May.
Toyota plants in the UK, Turkey, Poland and France will return to normal production levels on June 1, 2011 and Toyota Australia says it will be at full production levels by June 6, thanks to sufficient levels of parts and components and normalised delivery of imported components from Japan.
Dr Johan van Zyl, president of Toyota SA and a managing officer of the parent company, said: "We are delighted that we were in a position to maintain production levels throughout this difficult time, made possible through countless hours put in by our colleagues across the world.
"At the same time we remain thoughtful of our colleagues, their friends, family and fellow countrymen in Japan as they continue to rebuild their stricken country."