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VWSA welcomes new Human Resources Director & Board Member

vuyi on March 16, 2022

By H&H Admin

Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has appointed a new Human Resources Director and Board member.

Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has appointed a new Human Resources Director and Board member, to be based in Kariega, Eastern Cape.

Russell Coleman will join the VWSA Board of Management from 1 April 2022. Russell brings with him over 20 years of experience in the manufacturing space, both in the automotive and FMCG industries.

Russell Coleman joins VWSA Board of Management

Born and raised in Gqeberha, he joins VWSA from Beiersdorf in KwaZulu Natal, where he held the position of HR Director Southern Africa. Before this, he occupied various Human Resources positions with companies such as Danone, Parmalat, Mondelez International and Faurecia Automotive.

“We are excited to welcome Russell to the Board of Management,” said VWSA Chairman and Managing Director, Robert Cisek. “I have no doubt that his decades of knowledge and experience of people operations within a manufacturing environment will greatly benefit VWSA and our employees.”

100 000th Polo Vivo rolls off production line at VWSA plant in Kariega

vuyi on January 28, 2022

Starting 2022 off on a strong note, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) celebrated a production milestone this week, with the 100 000th unit of the current Polo Vivo rolling off the production line at the plant in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage).

The Vivo is built exclusively in Kariega for the South African market and this milestone comes just over four years after the plant began manufacturing the current Vivo model in 2018.

Prior to this, VWSA built the first generation Vivo from 2010 to 2017, with a total of 254 683 units built in this generation. This means the plant has built just over 354 000 Vivos to date.

In turn, South African consumers have shown their appreciation consistently for this uniquely South African vehicle: the Vivo has been the best-selling vehicle in the passenger car market every year since its introduction in 2010.

A total of 350 289 Vivos have been sold between 2010 and 2021, of which 251 726 were during the first generation and 98 563 of the current model (up until December 2021).

The best annual sales performance for the current Vivo model was recorded in 2019 when VWSA sold a total of 29 618 Vivos in one year. In terms of monthly performance, the Vivo proved most popular in October 2018, when 3 009 Vivos were sold in a single month.

The Vivo is one of two vehicles currently being built at the Kariega plant, the other being the Volkswagen Polo. The Polos built in Kariega are exported to all right-hand-drive markets worldwide, while VWSA also supplements production for left-hand-drive markets.

“This milestone means a lot to our team, both in Production and in the rest of the company,” said Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director at VWSA. “Given the challenges of our industry and of the Covid-19 pandemic, this achievement is a proud moment that sets the tone for a successful year ahead. I am grateful to every VWSA employee for their dedication, and the part they played in making this milestone a reality.”

VWSA opens Covid-19 vaccination centre for its Kariega employees

vuyi on August 12, 2021

To empower its employees and the larger community in the fight against Covid-19, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has begun vaccinating its employees in Kariega against the virus.

The VWSA vaccination centre, which was set up at the VW PeoplePavilion near the plant in Kariega, began administering the Pfizer vaccines to VWSA employees on 2 August. In its first week, the centre vaccinated 426 employees, with plans to vaccinate 150 employees per day from this week onwards.

The process to establish this vaccination centre started a few months ago, with the centre being approved and accredited by the Department of Health as a workplace vaccination site. The centre is staffed with four professional nurses, some of whom are contract staff and some from the company’s Wellness Centre, as well as two administrators.

As one of the largest employers in the Eastern Cape, we take the responsibility of protecting our employees and the community against Covid-19 seriously
– Dr Robert Cisek, VWSA Chairman and Managing Director

At the current pace and envisaged planning, it would take the vaccination centre approximately 16 working days to vaccinate all willing employees who have not yet received both doses of the vaccine, after which the company plans to expand the vaccination programme to VWSA’s on-site service providers and then the loved-ones living in the same household as VWSA employees.

VWSA employee Siphiwo Alwyn receiving his first Covid-19 jab from Sister Zanele Mboniswa

The vaccination centre functions separately from the Covid-19 testing facility which was set up by VWSA last year, and which continues to provide free drive-through Covid-19 testing for employees in Kariega. By the end of the first week of August, the facility had performed in excess of 6 800 tests since its opening.

“VWSA has played an instrumental role in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic so far,” said Dr Robert Cisek, VWSA Chairman and Managing Director. “As one of the largest employers in the Eastern Cape, we take the responsibility of protecting our employees and the community against Covid-19 seriously. This vaccination centre is an important part of fulfilling that duty, and I am proud of each employee who supports us in our duty by choosing to vaccinate.”

Volkswagen plant in Kariega produces 400 000th Polo

vuyi on June 28, 2021

Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) celebrated another production milestone today, when the 400 000th unit of the current Volkswagen Polo rolled off the production line in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage).

By the time the 400 000th Polo rolled off the production line, the plant had produced a total of 61 635 Polos and 10 373 Polo Vivos this year.

This is a proud moment for our team, who have proven their dedication to delivering for our customers in abroad and in South Africa.
– Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director, VWSA

This achievement comes less than four years after the plant began manufacturing the current Polo model in September 2017. Of the 400 000 Polos manufactured locally since 2017, 73 786 vehicles were made for the local market and 326 214 were built for export. The Polos built in Kariega are exported to all right-hand-drive markets worldwide, while VWSA also supplements production for left-hand-drive markets.

“This is a proud moment for our team, who have proven their dedication to delivering for our customers in abroad and in South Africa,” said Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director at VWSA. “I would like to thank every employee, whether on the production line, in the office or working from home, for continuously striving for excellence. This milestone could not have happened without their contributions.”