Dakar 2026 tough on South African participants
The 2026 Dakar Rally delivered one of the most thrilling and competitive editions of the world’s toughest off‑road endurance race.
- Industry News
- 19 January 2026
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 2026 Dakar Rally delivered one of the most thrilling and competitive editions of the world’s toughest off‑road endurance race.
Volvo Cars has partnered with type specialists Dalton Maag to develop Centum, a bespoke typeface crafted specifically for the in‑car environment.
Time to enter is running out for prospective participants in the 16th Simola Hillclimb, which will be held in the Knysna region later this year from 30 April to 3 May.