driving seat

南アフリカをはじめとしたアフリカ地方は，大手自動車メーカーにとって生産拠点であるのと同時に注目すべき市場になっているようで，アフリカ経済に多大な影響を与えています。
見出しのdriving seat（あるいはdriver’s seat）は「運転席」のことですが，その他にbe in the driver’s seatで「支配権［実権］を握っている」や「決定［決断］する立場にある」という意味があります（『スーパー・アンカー英和辞典』第4版，学研教育出版）。よって見出しは「自動車メーカーは南アフリカの経済を左右する」と解釈できます。（Koyamamoto）

Car makers in the driving seat of South Africa's economy
(CNN) -- The smells of oil, tires and hard work surround Monwabisi Bokwe as he stands on the Volkswagen production line. He's one of the thousands of employees at the auto plant in the South African town of Uitenhage, a cog in Eastern Cape's crucial sector: car manufacturing.
"It's not easy working in this industry, it's got its challenges," says Bokwe. "But I frequently go to the Western Cape and when you see a VW car go down the road and you tell your friend that you were part of that process that puts the car together...that fills you up with pride."
Regional Economy
After a decade working with Volkswagen cars, Bokwe has seen a lot. As a production operator at the factory in South Africa's self-proclaimed Garden Town, he's not far from the ocean in a province known for its auto-sector.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/22/business/south-africa-car-manufacturing/index.html?hpt=hp_c5