For a third of the time there has been a Uitenhage (now Kariega), there has been Volkswagen in Uitenhage.
The small industrial town, established in 1804, has also been home to Volkswagen for 75 years, during which time the brand has built their legacy within South Africa.
The makers of the People’s Car are celebrating their 75th anniversary of building and selling Volkswagens in South Africa, marking the first Beetle being built in the Kariega factory.
At the start, this factory belonged to South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors (SAMAD), and the production line-up also featured Studebaker and Austin models. From the moment the Beetle rolled off the production line on 31 August 1951, it was an icon in the minds of South African customers. The introduction of the Type 2 – also known as the Kombi– in 1955 further cemented the brand’s popularity in the local market.
In 1956 Volkswagenwerk in Germany bought a controlling share in the factory, which was their first plant outside of Germany. The SAMAD factory was renamed Volkswagen of South Africa in 1966, and in 1974 the factory became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG.
To date, Plant Kariega has manufactured nearly 40 models, including the Beetle, Kombi, Golf, Audi, Citi Golf, Jetta, Polo and Polo Vivo. Over 4.8 million vehicles have rolled off the production line, of which more than three million have been built for the local market.
The company, renamed Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) in 2025 to reflect its plans of expanding across the African continent, is currently the sole exporter of the Polo worldwide. The plant also builds the best-selling passenger car in South Africa, the Vivo, and will soon add a third model, the Tengo, to its production line-up. Additionally, VWGA is the headquarters for Region Africa, which includes assembly facilities in Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana.
Aside from building quality vehicles, Volkswagen has a track record for prioritising people. In the 1980s, the company made waves by training black artisans at a time when segregation was enforced by law outside the factory. Working together with stalwarts such as John Gomomo, who became one of the first shop stewards at Volkswagen, and later a member of Parliament, these efforts laid the foundation for robust, ongoing union representation at Volkswagen.
The company has also invested approximately R800 million in community projects since 1994 through the VW Community Trust and various projects and partnerships. Notably, Volkswagen was actively involved in the fight against Covid-19 in the early 2020s, opening a field hospital and a vaccination centre, and funding upgrades to the NHLS testing laboratory, among other initiatives.
In celebration of the 75th anniversary, the company has partnered with Mastertons Coffee and Tea Specialists, South Africa’s oldest coffee roasters, to produce the special-edition People’s Blend coffee. The occasion was also marked with a gala dinner on 31 August, with President Cyril Ramaphosa as special guest for the evening.
“Like me, many South Africans carry memories of the place of Volkswagen cars in their lives,” the President said in his keynote address. “This brand is so woven into our culture that we sometimes have to remind ourselves that Volkswagen is not a South African vehicle.”
“Volkswagen has never been content simply to do business in South Africa. It has sought to become part of the fabric of our nation. We celebrate this proud history. We celebrate generations of Volkswagen employees who have built this company.
We celebrate the suppliers, dealers, organised labour and communities that have been part of this journey, and we celebrate the contribution that Volkswagen has made to Kariega, Nelson Mandela Bay, the Eastern Cape and the South African economy.”
The gala event will be followed by an exciting full-day event for employees on 1 September. Both events include a first look at the Tengo, the new model to be built in Kariega for the South African and African markets.
“Our roots run deep in this town and in the Eastern Cape, and from this foundation we intend to build a future for Volkswagen across the African continent,” said Martina Biene, VWGA Chairperson and Managing Director. “As the second-oldest vehicle brand in South Africa, there are not many companies that can say they have been operating in one place and delivering quality products for 75 years, and we are only able to make this claim because we have had a long history of dedicated employees building not just vehicles, but a legacy for our brand and company,” added Biene.
“I am deeply grateful to our employees, past and present, our customers, suppliers, dealers, government stakeholders and Volkswagen fans, for how they have shaped our journey in South Africa so far,” concluded Biene.
“Kariega has secured its place in the Volkswagen world over the past 75 years,” said Thomas Schaefer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand globally, and former Managing Director of Volkswagen Group South Africa. “Generations of employees have built vehicles here that have won the trust of customers in South Africa and far beyond. The plant stands for quality, competitiveness and a clear commitment to performance.”
“At the same time, Kariega demonstrates a simple truth: global success is not created at headquarters. It is built by strong teams, strong locations and strong local roots. South Africa is far more than a manufacturing base for Volkswagen. It is the strategic anchor for our business in Africa and an important part of our global success story.”
“As we celebrate this milestone, we look ahead with confidence, determined to build on this foundation, develop skills and deliver world-class products for customers across Africa and around the globe.”