The BMW IT Hub is estimated to contribute R4bn to the SA economy this year.
BMW is a South African business entity that employs more than 100 people from its vehicle production facility in Rosslyn, Pretoria and is estimated to contribute R4 billion to the South African economy through foreign exchange earnings this year.
The BMW IT Hub, BMW Plant Rosslyn, one of four business units within the Group along with the national sales company and financial services, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Wednesday.
Established in 2006 with just 12 employees at the Rosslyn plant, the BMW IT Hub is now based in Menlyn Main, Pretoria, and has grown its workforce to approximately 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 center
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 that South Africa remains the key architect of the BMW Group's digital journey.
He said the Hub has worked closely with the University of Pretoria and Stellenbosch University and other leading educational institutions in its journey.
BMW Milestone
Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW South Africa, said this milestone is testament to the world-class talent available in South Africa.
“The Hub has evolved from a support center into a global innovation powerhouse, and as we move forward in AI and data-driven mobility, our Pretoria team will be at the heart of the BMW Group’s digital future,” he said.
Jochen Goller, BMW AG Board Member for Customers, Brands and Sales, said the center is important for South Africa and the BMW Group.
Goller said BMW set up its first plant outside Germany in Rosslyn in 1972 and later set up its first IT hub in South Africa – showcasing the country's technological talent not only to its local operations but to the world.
Lesufi believes in BMW's vision
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the Gauteng Government welcomes the vision of the BMW SA IT Hub, which is in line 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 industrialization, decent employment and spatial transformation.
Lesufi said the hub becomes an important part of BMW Group's global technology network, while also supporting skills development and job creation locally.
“This unprecedented growth will contribute to unlocking the economic growth and job creation envisioned in Gauteng’s MTDP (Medium Term Development Plan) and Economic Plan.”
He said the Gauteng province will continue to work with the private sector to enhance growth and development prospects in the province, and congratulated the Hub for its “remarkable contribution to innovation and digital transformation in Gauteng over the past 20 years”.
economic impact
Jan Lauter, BMW South Africa's general manager for customers, brands and sales, said that when the hub was established in 2006, it was called SAP Shared Services.
Its first major project involved transferring SAP knowledge from Roslin to plants being set up in China.
Lotter said the IT hub's R4 billion turnover in 2026 is entirely foreign exchange earnings.
“We sell all our services to BMW Munich, so it is a foreign investment by BMW in South Africa, and from here (South Africa) we service BMWs around the world.”
He said the hub has evolved every year since its inception and focuses not on in-vehicle IT support, development and operations, but on business systems, which include software across all disciplines, including plant, platform and sales and marketing environments.
cooperation is necessary
He said the key ingredient to the success of the Hub is collaboration.
“As you work 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 as well as interacting in diverse environments, they are proving to be very successful global leaders.
“To make things very practical, we are in the same time zone as Munich, so having a partner in the same time zone makes a lot of sense.
“We have wonderful partners with the BMW Group, and because our four business units are close to each other, we have great business understanding from start to finish… (which) has enabled the IT Hub to support our business partners globally in their journey.”
This article was republished from MoneyWeb. read the original here.