Volkswagen Group Africa produces one millionth Polo in Kariega

Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has reached another major production milestone with the production of the one-millionth current-generation Polo at its Kariega Plant.

The milestone vehicle is a smoky grey, right-hand-drive Polo GTI destined for the South African market.

VWGA’s Plant Kariega started manufacturing the current-generation Polo in 2017.

Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has recreated a memorable moment from its iconic “VW You and Me” television advert from 1988. Last month more than 1,500 employees gathered at the company’s Kariega car factory near Gqeberha to form a human version of the Volkswagen logo for an advert VWGA is refreshing for the 21st century. The original advert, which featured nearly 3,000 Volkswagen employees of different races and ages, was a snapshot of what South Africa could look like six years ahead of the country becoming a democracy in 1994. The advert won a Loerie award and was ranked South Africa’s favourite commercial in 1988. Partnering again with Ogilvy (then Rightford, Searle-Tripp and Makin), a long-standing creative partner to VWGA who originally brought the advert to life in 1988, the company decided to create a new version of the advert as part of its 75th anniversary in South Africa this year. To recreate the advert, a film crew spent three days at Plant Kariega capturing employees in their work environment. The people logo, which involved employees gathering along the existing Volkswagen spekboom logo (planted by employees on Earth Day in 2021), included almost half of the VWGA workforce. The advert also features several employees in individual shots or in smaller groups.

About 86% of these vehicles were exported to international markets such as Germany, the UK, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, whilst 14% were for the local market.

The current generation Polo accounts for nearly 21% of the 4,803,424 vehicles built at the Kariega plant over the past 75 years.

Meanwhile, the current generation Polo accounts for 48% of all Polo models ever manufactured at Plant Kariega, signifying the importance of the model to VWGA.

VWGA has been manufacturing the Polo since 1996 and has produced four generations of the model.

Plant Kariega is currently the sole global manufacturer and exporter of the Polo to 38 countries, including markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Germany and the UK are the biggest export destinations for the locally built Polo.

In line with their priorities of youth development, community upliftment and environmental sustainability, Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has pledged R500,000 in support of four local non-government organisations (NGOs). VWGA corporate and government affairs director Nonkqubela Maliza said that ranging from assisting victims of natural disasters and conserving the environment, to caring for orphans and vulnerable children, the beneficiaries had a history of making a difference in and around Nelson Mandela Bay. Maliza said through the VW Community Trust, the four NGOs would benefit from a total of R500,000 over the next 12 months. “Much like the organisations we are supporting, Volkswagen Group Africa has a long legacy of making an impact,” Maliza said. “By partnering with NGOs consistently, we can reach more people in need of help and make a lasting difference. “For us, corporate social investment is exactly that: an intentional investment in uplifting the communities in which we belong and operate.” The four beneficiaries are: Family Restoration Services has been operating in Motherwell since 2005, committed to providing care and long-term support for orphaned and vulnerable children. Zanethemba Charity Foundation, a new beneficiary of the VW Community Trust, was established in 2008 as a place of safety to meet the rising need of orphans and vulnerable children in Nelson Mandela Bay. Zanethemba provides refuge and care for up to 12 children in need at a time. Sinako-We Can, registered in 2019, helps victims displaced by fires, floods or similar occurrences, to rebuild their homes and/or re-establish their living arrangements. Zwartkops Conservancy has been conserving biodiversity in Nelson Mandela Bay since 1968 through various initiatives, including cleanups, habitat restoration and environmental education. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

This achievement comes as VWGA celebrates 75 years of vehicle manufacturing in SA and 30 years of Polo production at the Kariega Plant.

“This milestone is a proud moment for all of us at Volkswagen Group Africa and reflects the dedication and passion of our employees over many years,” Urich Schwabe, production director of VWGA, said.

“Producing one million Polos in Kariega highlights the trust that global markets place in the quality of vehicles built in South Africa. It also reinforces the Polo’s legacy as one of the most loved and successful models produced at our plant.”

Volkswagen Group Africa’s latest milestone is no mean feat with the globe’s solo exporter of the current Polo managing to manufacture half-a-million units from humble Kariega for markets across the world. The 500,000th unit was a Crystal Ice Blue, right‑hand‑drive Polo destined for the UK, which is one of VWGA’s main export markets. The current Polo has been in production at Plant Kariega since 2021 with an average turnaround time of three days and 1,985 sets of hands to build one Polo, with around 1,400 individual parts coming together to create the vehicle. Over the past three decades, four generations of the Polo have been produced in Kariega, with the plant becoming the sole global exporter of the Polo to 38 international markets in 2024. Germany is now the biggest export market for the Polo, with 124,711 vehicles shipped between 2020 and 2026, followed closely by the UK at 113,171 units. The current facelift Polo accounts for 51.2% of all Polos built for export since 1996. Our people have dedicated three decades to building and delivering this beloved vehicle to our customers, and these teams are the reason the Polo continues to shine, both here at home and across the world VWGA production director Ulrich Schwabe said 2026 is a special year for VWGA as it was not only celebrating 75 years of building vehicles in SA but also marking 30 years of Polo production in Kariega. “Reaching the milestone of producing the 500,000th current generation Polo is a proud moment for our production and logistics team,” he said. “This milestone shows the hard work, skill and dedication of every employee at Plant Kariega. “Our people have dedicated three decades to building and delivering this beloved vehicle to our customers, and these teams are the reason the Polo continues to shine, both here at home and across the world.” Earlier this year the Polo was voted “Best Small Car” in the 50th edition of Auto Motor and Sports Best Cars readers poll, which is the largest car reader survey in Europe. Additionally, the Polo was recently announced by CAR as the winner in the Small Cars segment in its 2026 Top 12 Best Buys. At the point of achieving its latest milestone, VWGA had produced 2,044,761 Polos in Kariega. Of these, 596,631 were sold in the local market, while 1,448,130 were exported. The Herald

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