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Volkswagen Group Africa builds 500 000th Polo for the export market

The 500 000th Polo has rolled off the assembly line at the Kariega plant

The 500 000th Polo has rolled off the assembly line at the Kariega plant

8th April 2026

By: Irma Venter

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has produced the 500 000th unit of the current Polo model for the export market.

The vehicle rolling off the Kariega plant assembly line was a crystal ice blue, right‑hand‑drive Polo destined for the UK, which is one of VWGA’s main export markets.

The current Polo has been in production at Kariega since 2021.

On average it takes three days and 1 985 sets of hands to build one Polo, with around 1 400 individual parts coming together to create this popular Volkswagen model.

Over the past 30 years, four generations of the Polo have been produced at Kariega.

The Eastern Cape export powerhouse in 2024 became the sole global exporter of the Polo to 38 international markets.

Earlier this year, the Polo was voted ‘Best Small Car’ in the fiftieth edition of Auto Motor und Sport’s Best Cars readers’ poll, which is the largest car reader survey in Europe.

Additionally, the Polo was recently announced by CAR magazine as the winner in the Small Cars segment in its 2026 Top 12 Best Buys.

At the point of achieving this milestone, VWGA had produced 2 044 761 Polos in Kariega.

Of these, 596 631 were sold in the local market, while 1 448 130 have been exported.

Germany is now the biggest export market for the Polo, with 124 711 vehicles shipped between 2020 and 2026, followed closely by the UK at 113 171 units.

“Reaching the milestone of producing the 500 000th current generation Polo is a proud moment for our production and logistics team,” says VWGA production director Ulrich Schwabe.

“This milestone shows the hard work, skill, and dedication of every employee at Plant Kariega. Our people have dedicated three decades to building and delivering this beloved vehicle to our customers, and these teams are the reason the Polo continues to shine, both here at home and across the world.”

 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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