Energy Features Headlines

Electric Cars, Dirty Origins: Volkswagen’s Supply Chain Tied to African Conflict Minerals

As Volkswagen accelerates toward a greener, electric future, a growing body of evidence reveals a darker reality behind the company’s clean-energy ambitions. A new investigation by DW and De Groene Amsterdammer has found that several smelters connected to the conflict minerals trade in Africa are part of Volkswagen’s sprawling global supply chain. The minerals in […]

Business Emerging Markets Features Headlines

Volkswagen Group Africa delivers strong export growth in 2024, eyes expansion plans in 2025

Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) is celebrating a significant achievement in 2024, setting a new export record with 131,485 vehicles shipped, marking a 21% increase over the previous record of 108,422 vehicles in 2019. This milestone highlights the company’s strengthened global presence, with its plant in Kariega, South Africa, being the sole exporter of Polo models […]

Africa Emerging Markets Headlines International

Volkswagen inks MoU with Ethiopian Government

After Kenya and Rwanda, the German car giant Volkswagen continues its expansion plan in East Africa. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday by Thomas Schaefer, Head of the Volkswagen Sub-Saharan Africa Region, and the Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), Abebe Abebayehu to deliver a joint vision for the development of […]

Algeria Business Headlines

The Fiasco of Algeria’s Car Industry

“Disguised imports”. It is thus that critics have described Algeria’s policy to set up car assembly plants. Since 2012, Algeria has been trying to attract foreign investments by automotive giants in order to reduce its imports bill, but the results so far are disappointing. Indeed, the opening of a car assembly plant by Volkswagen in […]

Algeria Headlines

Algeria: Volkswagen to launch car production plant in 2017

German car producer Volkswagen Thursday indicated that it will start a car producing plant in 2017 with an annual output estimated at 100,000 cars, reports say. According to Rosa Mensouri, Head of SOVAC’s communication department, the German brand will establish its plant at Relizane, in the department of Relizane. Reports say a total of 170 […]

Africa Business Headlines Morocco

Volkswagen Reportedly Chooses Morocco not Algiers

It seems that Morocco has won another battle against its neighbouring arch-rival Algeria, member of the OPEC cartel. After months of secret negotiations with the two countries, German automaker Volkswagen is believed to have finally picked Morocco to install its new plant following suit of French groups Renault and Peugeot-Citroen. According to sources close to […]