Gibela is a joint French–South African railway rolling stock manufacturer. It is majority owned by Alstom, which controls 70% of the company and African companies Ubumbano Rail has 30% stakes.[1]
Gibela was announced as the preferred bidder for a R51 billion contract to build 3,600 electric multiple units for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa in December 2012,[2] which was finalized in October 2013.[3] Under the terms of the contract, Gibela would construct the units over a ten-year period, as well as provide parts and technical support after delivery.[3] While the first twenty EMUs, dubbed the X'Trapolis Mega, were built by Alstom in Brazil, Gibela began construction of a new R1 billion assembly facility in Dunnottar, South Africa in March 2016 to construct the remaining 580 trainsets.[4] The factory is about 60,000 square metres (650,000 sq ft) in size and will employ about 1,500 people at full production, with a capacity of building 62 EMU trainsets annually.[5][4] Gibela began occupying the facility in early January 2018, with construction scheduled to be completed in March.[6] In addition to building vehicles for South African operators, Gibela also plans to compete for other African rail contracts.[4]