As one of only 50 men and women who were given this accolade worldwide, Kobo was recognised for outstanding work by a young employee in the VW Group.

VW says that more than 7 000 apprentices across the globe were tested, so to be named as one of the best is a special achievement. The 28-year-old joined VWSA as a graduate in February 2019 and currently works as a Component Engineer in the Uitenhage-based Product Engineering division.

Normally, the ceremony is held in Wolfsburg in Germany, but as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, participants were given their awards at home this year.

“From when I first heard in 2019 that there was a Best Apprentice award, I knew I wanted to earn that title,” Kobo said during the handing over ceremony. “To me, this award means that my commitment and efforts are being recognised. It’s a great first step for me to keep improving and set my bar higher every time.”

Director of Human Resources at VWSA, Thabo Nkoane, reiterated how proud they were of Kobo for receiving this accolade and being named one of the top talents in the Group. “As a company, we invest in talented, deserving graduates through our Graduate Trainee programmes,” he said. “This award serves as proof that these programmes are crucial for nurturing their talent and developing dedicated employees and future leaders.”