Volkswagen Group South Africa made several announcements on Tuesday that in effect cement its commitment to South Africa and the African continent.
These include a name change to Volkswagen Group Africa, which will be rolled out in due course, several new models that will be launched this year, and the Kariega plant being the “sole manufacturer of the Volkswagen Polo”.
The company hosted the “Volkswagen Indaba” at its facility in the Eastern Cape, with motoring and business media being provided with an overview of the company’s plans for the new year.
Chairperson and Managing Director, Martina Biene, said these include ramping up production to over 10,000 units a year, and the announcement of a third product in the Kariega plant.
She explained that the the company has divided the group into regions, Europe, Asia, China, and North and South America, with Africa becoming the group's fifth "independent" region.
"Therefore, from today (TUES), we'll trade as Volkswagen Group Africa. We'll do the legal changes and the system changes over the course of the year," Biene said.
She said South Africa will remain the centre in the hub for the "Africa endeavour" which she said was a "continent on the rise".
Biene said they will be assembling two models and one engine, with a third model to be added soon to the production at Kariega.
Other key objectives include becoming a Zero Impact Factory with respect to its carbon footprint by 2030 and announcing plans for a “new Volkswagen community school” as part of its “cradle to career” education strategy.
The new vehicles, which include the much-anticipated ID.4 electric car, and new Touareg, Tiguan, and T-Cross models, will be introduced to the market during the second and third quarters of this year.
Covering some of the highlights of 2023, Biene said with 101 557 vehicles exported in 2023, the VW Polo was SA’s most exported vehicle.
The media event is showcasing:
— VWSAnews (@VWSAnews) February 6, 2024
Volkswagen’s plans in Africa, Plant Kariega Decarbonisation Roadmap, Vivo innovation, Polo & Vivo quality assurance, and components export.
Reveal & Introduction - new Tiguan, new T-Cross, new Touareg, and ID.4.#VWIndaba #VolkswageninAfrica pic.twitter.com/HrqI1y493E
