Volkswagen Group Africa
Martina Biene currently serves as the Chairperson and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Africa, a position held since November 2022. Prior to this role, Martina Biene was the Head of Product Line Small at Volkswagen AG from September 2020 to October 2022, and the Head of Volkswagen Brand South Africa from October 2018 to September 2020. Earlier in the career, Martina Biene held the position of Head of Product Marketing for VW Passenger Cars at Volkswagen AG from September 2016 to October 2018. Martina Biene holds a degree in Theology/Theological Studies from The University of Göttingen, completed between 1995 and 2000.
This person is not in any teams
Volkswagen Group Africa
Volkswagen of South Africa (Pty) Ltd, trading as Volkswagen Group Africa, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Aktiengessellschaft (VWAG) in Germany. Volkswagen Group Africa is located in Kariega, 35 km from Gqeberha within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole, and has become a major contributor to foreign direct investment, technology transfer and skills development. Established in 1946, the plant was initially called SAMAD (South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors) for the local assembly of Studebaker cars and commercial vehicles. The first Beetle rolled off the line in 1951 and heralded the beginning of the largest German investment in Southern Africa. Volkswagen Group Africa’s brands retain a consistently strong position in the South African passenger vehicle market. Its Kariega plant is the sole manufacturer of the Polo worldwide, exporting to 38 countries. For generations, Volkswagen Group Africa has led the pack in the key areas of transformation. The company has set key targets and measures its success, which is the reason it has such a proud record as a responsible corporate citizen. The company strongly believes that job creation and skills development will fuel Black Economic Empowerment. Its first priority, therefore, is to build a strong and successful business that protects and creates jobs within Volkswagen Group Africa and the broader Volkswagen family of suppliers and franchised Dealers. In addition to its South African operations, Volkswagen Group Africa is also responsible for the Sub-Saharan Africa region and North African markets. In terms of its production footprint, Volkswagen Group Africa currently has assembly facilities in Kenya (assembling Polo Vivo, T-Cross, Tiguan and Touareg), Rwanda (assembling Virtus, T-Cross, Caddy, Tiguan and Amarok), and Ghana (assembling T-Cross, Tiguan, Teramont and Amarok). The brand’s presence in Rwanda also includes mobility solutions services such as car sharing and ride hailing.