By Moses Akaigwe
Underlining the legacy of the Volkswagen brand in South Africa, the makers of the People’s Car were honoured with four awards at the Naamsa Accelerator Awards last night.
The awards, held as part of the fifth SA Auto Week event in Durban, honoured automotive manufacturers, dealers and industry role-players for performance relating to sales and exports, as well as transformation and empowerment.
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) was named the winner in three categories under the Sales performance portion of the awards. The Polo, which is built for export exclusively in South Africa, was awarded in the Top Locally Manufactured Vehicle of the Year and the Top Exported Vehicle of the Year categories. Plant Kariega has been building the Polo since 1996 and exports the vehicle to over 30 countries in addition to a strong presence in the local market.
Additionally, the Polo Vivo was crowned South Africa’s Passenger Car of the Year. The Vivo has been built in Kariega for South African customers since 2010, and it remains the best-selling passenger car in the local market (2026 year-to-date). The plant produced a total of 156 837 vehicles in 2025, of which 119 771 were built for export.
The two models, which are the only vehicles built at Plant Kariega currently, have been honoured with these titles for the third time, having received the same accolades in 2024 and 2025. The plant will soon add the Tengo to its production line-up alongside these award-winning passenger vehicles.
In this year’s awards, however, the company also collected a fourth honour: in the Transformation portion, Volkswagen Group Africa received the Next Gen Workforce award for Locally Producing OEMs. The Transformation awards honour achievements in terms of job creation and inclusive representation.
“It has truly been a year of celebration for Volkswagen Group Africa,” said Christiane Zorn, VWGA Chairperson and Managing Director. “Against the context of this being Volkswagen’s 75th year in South Africa, these awards are a clear reminder of the legacy and impact of our brand in the local market.
“I am grateful to the loyal customers who have made our business sustainable for the past 75 years, the dealers who have been steadfast, proud brand ambassadors, and to the colleagues whose dedication to excellence has earned us these awards.”
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