South Africa

On April 16, it was announced that the VW Group will invest around ZAR 4 billion at its Kariega plant, in South Africa.

This investment aims to modernize the facilities in preparation for the launch of a new vehicle model in 2027. Most of the funds will be used for upgrading production facilities, manufacturing tools, local content tools, and quality assurance. Around ZAR 850 million will be invested to enhance automation in the body shop, while over ZAR 400 million will be invested in the press shop for the acquisition of new press tooling equipment.

This project is estimated to start by the end of 2024, during a plant shutdown.

The upcoming model, an SUV, is being developed by teams from Brazil and South Africa to meet both local and continental requirements.

Regarding EVs, Volkswagen anticipates a slower transition in Africa compared to other regions around the world, so the brand will keep on selling ICE vehicles for some more time in these markets, however, the ID.4 will be introduced for test fleet in Rwanda during 2024.

(Multiple sources on April 16, 2024)

On April 12, JAECOO, the urban off-road SUV brand marque from Chery Automobile, introduced its J7 SUV in South Africa. The new SUV marks JAECOO's debut in South Africa, the first African market and right-hand-drive market to receive the J7. The vehicle will be available in three variants starting for ZAR 549,900 and going up to ZAR 679,900. 

The J7 models are powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre gasoline engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, producing 145 kW of maximum output and 290 Nm of torque. The base - Vortex and mid-spec - Glacier variants of the J7 SUV have front axle drive, while the top-of-the-line Inferno variant offers all-wheel drive with JAECOO's advanced new All Road Drive Intelligent System (ARDIS).

Based on JAECOO press release

On April 9, Zero Carbon Charge launched its new subsidiary Zero Carbon Logistics, which will roll out 120 solar PV electric truck charging sites on national highways across South Africa. It will be the first off-grid, 100% green electric truck charging network in the country.

The 120-truck charging network will be additional to the 120 electric passenger vehicle off-grid charging sites currently being built by Zero Carbon Charge. The company will build the initial 6 sites on the major N3 freight route between Durban and Johannesburg.

The charging stations will operate entirely off-grid, powered by 35 MWp of solar PV at each site. They will feature ultra-fast charging technology paired with modular battery packs, that are being developed in China, to achieve truck charging within 20 minutes.

Based on Zero Carbon Charge press release