The Volkswagen Group honoured its 2025 Best Apprentices at a ceremony in Wolfsburg, Germany, held on 27 June 2025. This annual recognition celebrates exceptional performance by apprentices training to become skilled artisans.
In this year’s ceremony, 48 Volkswagen Group trainees from 16 countries were honoured.
Marcus Petersen (photo), a 48-year-old hailing from Graaff-Reinet, aspired to work at Volkswagen Group Africa from a very young age. As fate would have it, he was first employed at VWGA in 1998 as a temporary employee, and within two months, he was afforded permanent employment.
His main interest was electrical engineering; however, owing to financial difficulties, he was unable to finish his studies. This did not deter him from fulfilling his ambitions and just two years after joining VWGA, he was appointed as a Group Leader in Production.
Through further education and financial assistance offered by VWGA, he obtained an Operations Management Diploma in 2014.
“I wanted to pursue my dream of being an electrical engineer, but I was afraid that my age would stand in the way of that. However, when the opportunity for me to study further came, I was thrilled that the organisation would assist me, taking me a step closer to my dream,” Marcus says.
In 2021, he joined the VWGA's apprentice programme to start his new journey and career change. Being the oldest of the group of six, he wanted to prove that age is just a number and should not stand in the way of one's dreams. Currently, Petersen is practising his apprenticeship in mechatronics at the Volkswagen Technical Learning Academy.
“I want to show my colleagues that anything is possible, if you put your mind to it and you work hard for it. Now I have had the opportunity to travel to Germany to receive an award that recognises my hard work, and I couldn’t be happier,“ says Marcus.
“At Volkswagen Group Africa, we are committed to empowering our employees at every stage of their journey. Marcus’s achievement is an example of how dedication, continuous learning and support can unlock excellence,” says Russell Coleman, HR Director at VWGA. “His success is a reminder that growth has no age limit - and that investing in people is investing in progress.”
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Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
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Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
April 2026 marked a turning point in South Africa’s economic landscape, as global energy markets were jolted by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, according to naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
