Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor Gary van Niekerk welcomed the strong statement of intent by Volkswagen Group Africa that its African headquarters will remain in Kariega.
“Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) has been synonymous with the Volkswagen South Africa brand since its establishment in 1946 and its facilities still represents the largest investment in South Africa by a German automotive company.
“We are immensely proud of this legacy. In addition, the automotive giant’s intent to increase its African footprint from Kariega is excellent news for us.
“The announcement by the Volkswagen Group Africa Managing Director Martina Biene this week, augers well for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s plans to increase its market share in the automotive sector.
“As much as we are working on strategies to diversify our economy by developing other sectors, we need to cement our position as the “Detroit of South Africa” and further improve our output.
“The announcement that Volkswagen Group Africa will be introducing its first fully electric vehicle, the ID.4 this year as well as the new T-cross, Tiguan and Touareg models to the South African markets is also good news for brand-conscious buyers.
“We are confident that the electrical vehicle will do well as market trends indicate that the demand for environmentally friendly transportation is growing.
“We would like to repay this vote of confidence in our city by improving our infrastructure and building a region where businesses can thrive and do business seamlessly.
“I would like to wish them well with their plans to become a carbon neutral company by 2030 and look forward to continue our good working relations with the Volkswagen Africa Group,” Mayor Van Niekerk said.
Issued by NMBM
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