Kariega

KARIEGA – In March 2004, the Volkswagen Group Africa plant in Kariega opened the doors to its own heritage centre for the first time. The VW AutoPavilion, which was built following a R13-million investment, was established with the ultimate aim of giving a home to Volkswagen’s history and iconic vehicles, which could be enjoyed by employees and automotive fans alike.

In the 20 years that have followed, the AutoPavilion has established itself as a landmark for Volkswagen history, doubling its vehicles on display and boasting various exhibitions. Over R5-million has been invested in expanding the AutoPavilion’s offerings.

Among the 51 vehicles in the museum are the icons in the 70 Years of Volkswagen exhibition, as well as a variety of Volkswagen Beetles, concept cars and even vehicles from the different brands produced in Kariega since the plant opened in 1946 (then called SAMAD).

Aside from the exhibitions, the more than 670 000 visitors welcomed in the past 20 years have also had an exclusive look at the plant’s production operations. Though the plant previously offered FactoryTours, this has been part of the AutoPavilion experience since its opening, with more than 350 000 tours being conducted in the past two decades. The tours, which are offered on weekdays and are free of charge to the public, are especially popular among school groups.

“The AutoPavilion is how we share Volkswagen Group Africa’s history with our customers,” said Andile Dlamini, Head: Group Communication. “We are proud that this centre has been preserving our heritage and representing our company’s story for the past two decades. We hope to keep sharing our automotive story for many years to come.”

To book a FactoryTour or find out more about the AutoPavilion, contact 041 994 5941 or autopavilion@vwsa.co.za, or visit the AutoPavilion adjacent to the Volkswagen Group Africa plant at 103 Algoa Road in Kariega.

During the night shift on Monday 19 February, the production team of Volkswagen Group Africa celebrated a milestone when the 1,5-millionth vehicle built for export in Kariega rolled off the line.

The milestone vehicle, a Polo GTI destined for the United Kingdom, also marked the 21 165th vehicle built for export this year alone. The Kariega plant built 101 557 Polos for export last year. The plant’s record for export units in one year was in 2019, when the team built 108 422 vehicles for export markets.

Volkswagen Group Africa has been building vehicles for export since 1992, including models such as the Volkswagen Jetta and Golf. Currently the Kariega plant is the sole manufacturer of the Volkswagen Polo, exporting this vehicle to 38 markets worldwide. The plant has been building the current Polo since January 2018 and began production of the facelifted Polo in August 2021; it also produces the popular Polo Vivo for the South African market.

“Celebrating another production milestone this early in the year sets the tone for a successful 2024,” said Ulrich Schwabe, Volkswagen Group Africa Production Director. “Volkswagen Group Africa remains a strong player in the export space and I am proud of the team behind milestones such as these. As the home of Polo we intend to continue building and delivering our high-quality vehicles to customers around the world – and hopefully achieve many more milestones along the way.”