South Africa: Ramaphosa to Speak at Volkswagen Group Africa's 75th Anniversary Dinner

On August 31, 1951, the first Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly lines at the Kariega plant, formerly known as Uitenhage, in Nelson Mandela Bay. Exactly 75 years later, on August 31, 2026, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address at the anniversary gala dinner held at the plant itself in the Eastern Cape province, under the theme "A Legacy in Motion". According to a statement from the South African Presidency released via APO Group, the plant, founded in 1946 as South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors (SAMAD) to assemble Studebaker vehicles, has produced nearly 40 different models and over 4.8 million vehicles over 75 years, with more than three million destined for the local market. Kariega is currently the sole global production site for the Volkswagen Polo, exported to 38 countries, and also manufactures the Polo Vivo for the South African market. The group employs approximately 3,600 people, relies on 1,440 suppliers, and supports roughly 50,000 indirect jobs. Since 2010, it has invested over 13 billion rands locally, with its social investments exceeding 800 million rands since 1994. A new model destined for Kariega will be unveiled during the ceremony, though its name has not been specified. This celebration comes as the group has expanded its continental footprint, with assembly plants in Kenya, Rwanda, and Ghana, confirming Kariega's role as a pillar of the national automotive industry and the Nelson Mandela Bay economy. Internally, Kariega's global specialization in the Polo guarantees stable export volumes. Externally, this anchoring is part of a regional movement where South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ghana are building integrated automotive ecosystems, in the face of the global transition to electric vehicles and the local content requirements of industrial policies...