Page 24 - EngineerIT June July Issue 2026

AUTOMOTIVE

BMW IT Hub reaches a

20-year milestone

wo decades on, BMW Group South Africa’s IT Hub, based As South Africa positions itself as a source of
in Pretoria, has established itself as the backbone of BMW globally relevant technology talent, the BMW
TGlobal’s IT solutions and support structure. The Hub supports IT Hub continues to play a strategic role. It
core edge technologies, as well as legacy systems built on demonstrates what is possible when business,
traditional platforms and development languages, such as SAP, education and long-term commitment to people
JAVA, C#, Python, AWS, Azure, and others. come together.

The 20-year milestone recognises two decades of investing in Reflecting on this journey, Peter van Binsbergen,
South African people, skills and digital capability. Established in Chairman and CEO of BMW Group South Africa,
2006 as a specialised support unit, the hub is one of four business noted: “This 20-year milestone is a testament to
entities in South Africa. the world-class talent we have right here in South
Africa. The hub has evolved from a support centre
The Pretoria facility is the largest BMW IT Hub outside of Germany. into a global innovation powerhouse, and as we
It is powered by more than 2,500 technology professionals who lean further into AI and data-driven mobility, our
manage everything from production-line data to customer-facing Pretoria team will be at the very heart of BMW
platforms across more than 130 BMW locations worldwide. Group’s digital future.”

A South African economic powerhouse Adding to this sentiment, Thorsten Achenbach,
Ongoing growth has fundamentally changed the IT Hub’s role Director of the BMW IT Hub, remarked: “This
within the local economy. Over the past 20 years, it has created milestone reflects our commitment to transforming
more than 2,000 new jobs through continued expansion, and in local potential into global innovation, ensuring
2026, the hub is projected to contribute more than R4 billion to South Africa remains a key architect of the BMW
South Africa’s economy. Group’s digital journey.”

24 | EngineerIT June/July 2026