Walking the Floor: The Human Side of Toyota’s Prospecton Plant
Updated: 4 hours ago
By Grant Adlam
It was a proper scorcher of a Durban day. In the middle of the tour, standing right in the thick of the noise and heat on the Prospecton factory floor, Dylan Naidoo let out a long, heavy breath. Dylan is a bright young journalist on our team, and seeing him take it all in was something special.
I turned to him with a smile and asked if he was feeling the heat.
"No, Grant," he said, completely wide eyed. "I'm just in awe."
Dylan wrote his own piece about the visit, covering the huge stamping presses, the rows of robot arms, and the unbelievable fact that a brand new Hilux comes off that line every 90 seconds. He was spot on to be amazed. Prospecton is a massive operation. It is Toyota's oldest manufacturing plant outside of Japan, employing over 7,500 people and keeping the wheels of KwaZulu-Natal turning.
I have spent more than forty years in publishing, and I have visited plenty of factories and boardrooms. The machinery was impressive, but what really stayed with me was the way the people at the very top handled the day.
Walking the Talk
Right from arrival, everything was run with pure professionalism. Before heading into the auditorium, we were treated to a fantastic spread of food, looked after brilliantly by the catering staff, and handed a Toyota cap as a keepsake. The hospitality set the tone before a single speech was delivered.
Inside the auditorium, TSAM President and CEO Andrew Kirby took the stage. He did not give a stiff, boring corporate speech. Instead, he spoke directly to everyone in the room and made every single visitor feel welcome. He explained the setup and brought everyone right into the Toyota story.
He also brought a brilliant dose of humour to the house rules. He told us with a wink that if he told us not to take photos or videos, we would probably do it anyway, so just be sensible and do not get close enough to snap serial numbers and sensitive details. Then he added the real clincher: "You have to promise me one thing. Don't talk to our staff, because we don't want you to poach them. They are far too valuable to us."
It was such a clever, witty way of laying down the ground rules while paying a genuine compliment to his own team. That light touch set the mood straight away.
Then Nigel Ward, the Executive Vice President, got up to speak. Right on cue, the plant overview video playing on screen froze. They gave it another go, and it got stuck in the exact same spot twice. In a lot of big business setups, that is when people panic or get embarrassed. Not Nigel. He simply smiled, told the room it was meant to be the ultimate icebreaker, and carried on without missing a beat. Then, wrapping it up with a grin, he told us: "Well, now that you have seen it on screen, let's go and see the real thing."
Everyone had a good chuckle, relaxed, and headed out ready for action. We split up into our colour groups, put on our safety gear, and hit the floor.
Handing Over the Baton
In many corporate visits, the top bosses wave from the front and disappear back to an air conditioned boardroom. Not this time.
Andrew Kirby joined our group, put on his gear, and walked the factory floor with us. He walked every step through the heat, past the presses, and alongside the welding lines. You could see the people in our group looking around, stunned that the top man at Toyota was right there next to them, chatting and answering questions like any ordinary bloke. Nigel did the exact same thing with his group.
What stood out most on that walk was the way leadership operated in practice. Even though the chief executive of Toyota was standing right there, Andrew did not take over the floor. As we moved from section to section, the baton was handed over seamlessly to the team leaders running each area.
Every supervisor and manager stepped up with real pride, took full ownership, and explained their part of the process with deep expertise. The top leadership stepped back, listened, and let their people shine. That quiet confidence to share the floor and pass authority down the line told you everything you need to know about Toyota's culture.
Good Food and Great Conversations
After surviving the heat of the factory floor, we returned to another superb lunch. The kitchen staff had laid out top quality finger snacks and ice cold drinks, which could not have come at a better time. The service throughout was friendly, sharp, and thoroughly professional.
On the shuttle ride back, I sat next to a representative from the Department of Economic Development. We had a great chat about how business and government can work better together, how to get positive stories out there, and what really builds confidence in our province.
Over the last two weeks, I have seen two massive votes of confidence in KwaZulu-Natal. First was Unilever with their huge investment at Maydon Wharf, and now Toyota with their massive commitment to Prospecton. These investments run into billions of rands and are brilliant for our local economy. But money alone does not build loyalty or pride. People do.
Hitting the Target
Running an operation as big as Prospecton takes serious technical skill. But making an entire room of people feel respected, well hosted, and inspired takes good old fashioned people skills.
Dylan walked away blown away by the robots, the scale, and the speed of the line. I walked away just as impressed by the leadership.
Full marks to Andrew Kirby and Nigel Ward. That simple, grounded attitude of walking alongside people on the shop floor and trusting your team to take the lead is why Toyota works so well here. You did not just show us how South Africa builds its favourite bakkie. You showed us how good leaders treat people.
