MW CEO Oliver Zipse announced that the carmaker’s Rosslyn Plant in Gauteng will be shutdown to ‘to protect employees and their families and to support society’ in its fight against the coronavirus.

Zipse said: “Since yesterday (17 March), we began to shut down our European and Rosslyn automotive plants, which will close by the end of the week. The interruption of production for the mentioned plants is currently planned to run until April 19.”

BMW has been building the X3 at Plant Rosslyn since 2018, it was previously manufacturing the popular 3-Series sedan. The facility has a maximum annual capacity of 76 000 units.

Zipse says the pandemic will affect the demand for non-essential items. “In light of this, we have already temporarily closed the first dealerships in Europe. Demand for cars, like many other goods, will decrease significantly, Zipse said at BMW Annual Accounts Press Conference.