Waldemar André Christensen is the new Vice-President and Managing Director of the Volvo Group Southern Africa. He replaces Marcus Hörberg, who will be joining the Volvo Trucks team in France.
Waldemar started his career at Volvo during 2011 in his native Norway. He has vast experience in commercial product management, government and fleet sales, as well as dealer and retail operations. He was also the MD of Volvo Trucks in Norway from 2016 to 2019.
Most recently, he was head of Truck Sales Operations for the Volvo European regional value chain, located at Volvo headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden.
He holds an MBA, and his qualifications are centred on business, administration, law and entrepreneurship.
“I am so excited to be given this opportunity and look forward to supporting our South African customers in building sustainable businesses for the future,” he says.
“The Volvo Group Southern Africa team members have extensive experience in the local transport environment, and I greatly value their insights and knowledge, especially now that the global logistics industry is facing some challenging business conditions. We look forward to taking Volvo Trucks to new heights, all for the benefit of our customers, our staff and society at large,” he reckons.
Volvo Group Southern Africa’s head office is in Jet Park, Gauteng, and the company has a Volvo Trucks assembly plant in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Local operations include brands like Volvo Trucks, Volvo Penta, Volvo Bus and Volvo Financial Service. It currently employs 1 000 staff around the country.
The Kia Carens nameplate makes its return to South Africa, this time as a seven‑seater designed with families in mind. It combines Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) styling with Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) practicality, offering space, comfort and efficiency, Kia says.
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.
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I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
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.
