The Motor Company of Botswana (Pty.) Ltd. was

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...

of the

Hyundai Motor Company Hyundai Motor Company, often abbreviated to Hyundai Motors ( ) and commonly known as Hyundai (, ; ), is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, and founded in 1967. Currently, the company o ...

with its local dealership Hyundai Motor Distributors (Pty.) Ltd. The company was founded in 1992 with its headquarters in

Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census. Gaboron ...

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

. In February 1993 they began the assembly of Hyundai CKD kits until closing in 2001. The company was co-founded by Billy Rautenbach, a wealthy businessman from

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

that also owned ''Wheels of Africa,'' a large cargo trucking enterprise.Hyundai Gaborone plant for Kimberley
in ''News24'' 8 November 2000. Hyundai, however, only delivered the CKD kits, from which Hyundai models were made. At times, finished vehicles were imported from

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

, disassembled, reassembled and exported to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

in order to - compared to the direct import to South Africa - gain significant tax advantages. In 2000, the company - along with the Swedish Motor Corporation at the same location - went bankrupt with high debts.

Model overview

Image:1994-1997 Hyundai Excel (X3) LX sedan (2010-07-13) 01.jpg,

Hyundai Accent The Hyundai Accent ( ko, 현대 엑센트), or Hyundai Verna (현대 베르나) is a subcompact car produced by Hyundai. In Australia, the first generation models carried over the Hyundai Excel name used by the Accent's predecessor. The Accent ...

1993-2001 Image:Hyundai Sonata II front 20071102.jpg,

Hyundai Sonata The Hyundai Sonata is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Hyundai since 1985. The first generation Sonata, which was introduced in 1985, was a facelifted Hyundai Stellar with an engine upgrade, and was withdrawn from the market in two ...

1993-1998 Image:Hyundai Elantra Sedan.jpg, Hyundai Elantra#Second generation (J2/RD; 1995), Hyundai Elantra
1996-1999 Image:96-97 Hyundai Elantra wagon.jpg, Hyundai Elantra#Second generation (J2/RD; 1995), Hyundai Elantra Station Wagon
1996-1999 Image:Hyundai Sonata older.jpg, Hyundai Sonata#Fourth generation (EF; 1998), Hyundai Sonata Viv
1998-2001 Image:98-00 Hyundai Elantra Sedan.jpg, Hyundai Elantra#Second generation (J2/RD; 1995), Hyundai Elantra
1999-2001 Image:Hyundai-Elantra-wagon.jpg, Hyundai Elantra#Second generation (J2/RD; 1995), Hyundai Elantra Station Wagon
1999-2001

External links

Hyundai plant revving up to make new inroads in SASOUTH AFRICA: Job losses follow Hyundai liquidation"Africa South of the Sahara 2004" Chapter: "Manufacturing and Construction" (page 97)

Botswana car plant goes cheap

References

{{Reflist Car manufacturers of Botswana Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1992 Botswana companies