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Volkswagen has opened a new vehicle assembly facility in Accra in Ghana, reaffirming the German company's commitment to the development of the automotive industry in that country.
VW said; "with this move, it also takes over the new vehicle assembly responsibility from its licensed importer in Ghana, Universal Motors Limited," which, since 2020, were using Semi-Knocked Down assembly kits imported from South Africa.
The new 5 000 square metre facility near the Port of Tema in Accra will assemble T-Cross, Tiguan, Amarok, and Virtus. It will create an initial 80 jobs, including local third-party service suppliers.
Volkswagen Group South Africa Chairperson and Managing Director, Martina Biene, said Ghana was an important market for their Sub-Saharan Africa expansion plans, especially in West Africa.
She said they had identified opportunities to develop a collaborative automotive industry hub amongst the countries in the region.
"The hub concept will ensure that each country with an automotive development policy or economic interest in the automotive industry has an important role to play in the supply value chain," she said.
Biene said VWSA believed that the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement would be the catalyst that will unlock trade barriers and promote regional collaboration.
Volkswagen is fully committed to Ghana and supporting its industrial transformation agenda despite the current economic challenges facing the country.
"We are here for the long haul," Biene said.
