Volkswagen Group Africa has produced the 500,000th unit of the current-generation (Mk6) Volkswagen Polo for export at its Kariega plant in the Eastern Cape.
The milestone vehicle, finished in Crystal Ice Blue, is a right-hand-drive model destined for the UK, one of the company’s key export markets.
Production of the current sixth-generation Polo at Plant Kariega began in 2021. Volkswagen says it takes an average of three days to build a single unit, involving 1,985 workers and about 1,400 individual components.
The Kariega facility has been producing the Polo for 30 years, spanning four generations of the model. In 2024, the plant became the sole global exporter of the Polo to 38 international markets.
Volkswagen says 2,044,761 Polos have been produced in Kariega to date. Of these, 596,631 units were sold locally, while 1,448,130 were exported. The current facelifted model accounts for more than half of all Polos built for export since 1996.
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
— Ulrich Schwabe, VWGA production director
Germany is currently the largest export destination, with 124,711 units shipped between 2020 and 2026, followed by the UK with 113,171 units.
The milestone comes in a year in which Volkswagen Group Africa marks 75 years of vehicle production in South Africa, alongside 30 years of Polo production at the Kariega plant.
“Reaching the milestone of producing the 500,000th current generation Polo is a proud moment for our production and logistics team,” said 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.”
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