With relations between Germany and South Africa strengthened even further by the German government’s commitment of over R6 billion to support South Africa’s Just Energy Transition, Audi Board Member, Hildegard Wortmann, is currently visiting the country.
She is part of the Board of Management and responsible for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG, as well as a member of the Extended Executive Committee for the Volkswagen Group. She plays an active role in shaping the transformation to a more electric and sustainable future of mobility.
“The automotive industry is facing the biggest upheaval in decades: becoming more sustainability-focused, digitally integrated and geared towards aligning with emerging customer needs. Audi has a long history in South Africa, and now we’re working on accelerating the transformation to an electrically powered, digitally enhanced brand, shaping the future of premium mobility,” she says.
“It’s in this spirit of innovation, spurred on by the co-operation between the German and South African governments, that we’re investing in the country’s onward journey in the premium automotive space,” she says.
“That doesn’t mean simply offering our customers a range of EVs, but rather a broader and longer-term strategy to create an ecosystem that incorporates convenient charging, seamless navigating, predictive maintenance, autonomous driving services and more.”
South Africa has a track record of leapfrogging more developed countries in the adoption of certain technologies and a similar opportunity exists in the areas of renewable energy and therefore electric vehicles.
Joining her on her visit is Andre Konsbruck, Vice President for Sales Overseas, who says that Audi continues to make impactful contributions to EV adoption in South Africa. “Audi’s two phases of investment in charging infrastructure demonstrate our commitment to the transition of South Africa towards EV technology,” he says.
“We’re also taking a lead role in conversations that progress the future of mobility. The first steps toward that future in this country started last year with the introduction of the e-tron range, and the journey will accelerate in the months and years to come, thanks to these investments and the roll-out of further exciting products.”
Audi launched the first models in its fully-electric e-tron range in South Africa in February last year, with more set to follow in the near future.
To support its local roll-out of EVs, and to advance the adoption of EVs in South Africa in general, Audi partnered with GridCars early in 2022 and with Rubicon in recent months to set up a total of 127 new EV charge connectors across 76 chargers to expand the existing public charging network in South Africa for all electric vehicle drivers.
BMW believes its fortunes in China will turn around with the introduction of its revolutionary Neue Klasse electric vehicle series, which took a major step forward this week with the launch of its first model.
Tata’s passenger vehicles made a return to the South African market with some interesting models. Let’s take a closer look at what is available and at what price.
South Africa will leverage the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 in Algiers, Algeria, from 4 to 10 September to cement its position as Africa's automotive manufacturing leader.
Advertisement
Advertisement
You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
Unknown
BMW believes its fortunes in China will turn around with the introduction of its revolutionary Neue Klasse electric vehicle series, which took a major step forward this week with the launch of its first model.
Malaysia has taken a major step forward in its electric vehicle ambitions with the official opening of Proton's first dedicated EV-manufacturing facility. The plant launch represents a pivotal moment for both the automotive manufacturer and the country's broader electrification goals.
Volkswagen is abandoning its separate electric vehicle naming convention, opting instead to align its battery-electric models with established combustion engine nameplates. The German automaker announced that the strategy shift would begin with the ID Polo, set to debut in 2026.
