Latest news with #VolkswagenGroupAfrica
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Volkswagen completes first factory updates for ‘Tera' production
Joint venture product with Brazil and India will, seemingly, enter production next year before arriving on dealership floors in 2027. The first phase of Volkswagen Tera production readiness in South Africa has been completed. Image: Volkswagen do Brasil Volkswagen has entered what it describes as the next phase of its factory overhaul in preparation for the commencement of local production of its still unnamed MQB A0 Entry SUV in 2027. Shutdown Last month, the automaker confirmed a four-week shutdown of its Kariega Plant in Eastern Cape for the installation of 100 robots, revisions to conveyor belts in the final assembly area, and upgrades to the body shop and paint shop for the newcomer that will become the third model assembled locally alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo. ALSO READ: What South Africa can expect: Volkswagen Tera detailed in Brazil While well known to be a South African-market version of the Tera that went on sale in Brazil this week, a different name will be used. Volkswagen hinted that its annual product Indaba in February will have a distinctly African-flavoured moniker. The next phase In its latest update about the plant being back in operation, Volkswagen stated that the 'Tera' has entered the 'commissioning phase', which it defines as 'a systematic process of bringing the new equipment online and performing necessary checks to ensure these are functioning optimally'. It added that this will be implemented over weekends to avoid delays in the regular three-shift running of the plant located in the town formerly known as Uitenhage. It remains to be seen whether the interior, apart from the shift from left to right-hand drive, will undergo any additional changes for South Africa. Image: Volkswagen do Brasil The result of an R4-billion investment into the plant last year, the joint venture between Volkswagen Group Africa, Volkswagen do Brasil and Skoda India has seen South Africa take the lead on project development, despite it being the final market to receive it. Unveiled last year in India as the Skoda Kylaq, the 'Tera' will seemingly be positioned between the T-Cross and Taigo, although it could become Volkswagen's smallest SUV locally as production of the former, in Europe, is anticipated to end next year in readiness for its all-electric replacement, the ID.2X. What to expect In Brazil, the Tera occupies the position below the Taigo's South American sibling, the Nivus, with pricing ranging from below R330 000 to a smidgen over R440 000 when directly converted from reais to Rands. While normally aspirated and turbocharged versions of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder are offered, South Africa is likely to receive only the latter combined with either the five-speed manual gearbox or the optional six-speed Tiptronic. Tera's name will be dropped for South Africa. Image: Volkswagen do Brasil 'We are happy to be back to normal production, with the knowledge that we are one step closer to our future of building three models in our plant,' Volkswagen Group Africa's Production Director, Ulrich Schwabe, said in a statement. 'I would like to thank every employee who has played a part in the process of preparing for this future icon in our Volkswagen line-up, and I look forward to working with these colleagues, as well as our Brazilian counterparts, as we continue on this journey'. More soon Hinted at the Indaba possibly being showcased in pre-production form early next year, speculation has stated that assembly will start late 2026 before the onset of sales in 2027. As it stands though, this is purely speculative and could well change over the coming 18 months or so. NOW READ: Volkswagen halts local production in preparation for 2027 SUV
TimesLIVE
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
VW's Kariega plant enters next phase of new budget SUV production
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has completed the latest round of production facility upgrades at its Kariega plant as it moves forward with preparations to manufacture a third vehicle model from 2027. The new model, a compact A0 SUV known as the Tera in Brazil, will join the Polo and Polo Vivo on the production line. Built on the same chassis as the Polo, the Tera is positioned below the T-Cross in Volkswagen's global SUV line-up. Plans to produce it locally were announced in February during the VW Indaba media event. The vehicle will adopt a different moniker when it goes on sale, with VW planning to open a naming campaign across the African continent in the coming months. By the end of 2024, about 60% of the required production upgrades had been completed during the plant's December shutdown. The remaining 40% was addressed during a planned production pause from April 14 to May 12 this year. This included final work in the body shop, paint shop and final assembly areas. Specific tasks involved:
TimesLIVE
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Volkswagen Group Africa appoints Simphiwe Nghona as new sales and marketing director
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) on Thursday announced the appointment of Simphiwe Nghona as its new sales and marketing director, effective May 1. He steps into the role after the departure of Thomas Milz. Nghona has been with the German carmaker since July 2024, leading its national sales organisation. He brings nearly three decades of experience across the automotive and financial services sectors, having worked with importers, distributors, OEMs and dealerships in several African markets. Before joining VWGA, he held senior positions at Standard Bank and WesBank, including a role overseeing vehicle and asset finance strategy in 14 African countries. Earlier in his career, he also managed dealership operations in Kariega as a dealer principal and executive director. He holds a postgraduate diploma from Henley Business School in the UK and completed an advanced management programme at INSEAD in France. In addition to his new role, Nghona chairs the boards of Volkswagen Ghana and Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda and sits on the board of VW Financial Services. 'We are delighted to welcome Simphiwe into his new role as sales and marketing director,' said Martina Biene, chair and MD of VWGA. 'His extensive industry experience, strategic mindset, and leadership capabilities will undoubtedly strengthen our team and drive our growth initiatives forward. We look forward to seeing the positive impact he will have on our business.'
Reuters
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Volkswagen's African unit makes record Polo exports to Europe, Asia
CAPE TOWN, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE), opens new tab African unit exported a record 131,485 Polos to European and Asia-Pacific markets in 2024, Europe's biggest carmaker said on Wednesday. That was a big increase from the previous export record of 108,422 vehicles in 2019 from its manufacturing plant in Kariega in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, Volkswagen Group Africa said in a statement, without giving figures for 2023. As of July 2024, Volkswagen Africa is the sole exporter of the Polo for European and Asia-Pacific markets, delivering the model to 38 countries. Overall, these Polos accounted for 88% of exported vehicles from South Africa last year, the company said. The Polo hatchback also performed strongly in the local market last year, selling 12,253 units and taking fourth place in the segment, it added. The locally-built Polo Vivo claimed the top spot in the segment, with 25,914 units sold. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the annual Africa Mining Indaba, Martina Biene, the chairperson and managing director at VGA, said the auto industry had been benefiting from lowering interest rates, availability of constant power supply and improvement at South Africa's ports and rail network. "There is a positive movement, although it's not like sky-rocketing, I would say," she said, referring to the performance of the industry. Power cuts have been a drag on South Africa's economic growth for more than a decade, impacting businesses including manufacturers. Until Jan. 30, there had been none since March last year after a sudden turnaround in the performance of power utility Eskom's generation fleet.
