Martina Biene is leaving Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) to join Škoda Auto as the new Board member for Sales and Marketing effective 1 October 2026.
Biene became the first female to be appointed as the Chairperson and Managing Director at Volkswagen Group Africa in November 2022. The appointment was her second spell at VWGA following her tenure as the Head of Volkswagen Passenger Brand from October 2018 until August 2020 where she steered the Volkswagen brand to achieve record market share of 20.4% in 2019.
Under Biene’s leadership, Volkswagen’s manufacturing plant in Kariega achieved its highest production volume of 167 084 units in 2024. In the same year, the company announced a R4-billion investment to produce a third model, the Tengo, at Plant Kariega. The Tengo was officially unveiled this week as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of Volkswagen in South Africa.
Biene also served as the President of the Association of African Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) from October 2023 until July 2026.
Biene will be succeeded by Christiane Zorn, who is currently the Vice President Region Overseas at Porsche AG. Zorn has 20 years of working experience in the automotive industry. She joined BMW in 2013 after several years as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. Her tenure at BMW included roles in Munich and Beijing. From March 2020, she held various management roles at Audi including Head of Sales for China, Head of Product Marketing and Head of Product Strategy.
Zorn will officially take over the reins at VWGA on 1 October 2026, pending the completion of the necessary regulatory and statutory processes. “I am excited to join Volkswagen Group Africa and play my part in driving the future of Volkswagen in Africa with the team,” said Zorn.
Biene said: “It has been an honour to lead and work with such a great and resilient team. Despite the challenges facing both the automotive industry and our company, we have achieved many milestones worth celebrating. The early launch of the Tengo ranks highly amongst these achievements for what it will bring to Plant Kariega production and our SUV sales offensive plans in South Africa and other markets on the African continent.”