Chery names its first bakkie Grootman
Chery has named its first bakkie for South Africa Grootman, a name chosen by South Africans. The model is planned to make its local debut in the first quarter of 2027.
- Product News
- 2 October 2026
The Volkswagen Group honoured its 2025 Best Apprentices at a ceremony in Wolfsburg, Germany, held on 27 June 2025. This annual recognition celebrates exceptional performance by apprentices training to become skilled artisans.
In this year’s ceremony, 48 Volkswagen Group trainees from 16 countries were honoured.
Marcus Petersen (photo), a 48-year-old hailing from Graaff-Reinet, aspired to work at Volkswagen Group Africa from a very young age. As fate would have it, he was first employed at VWGA in 1998 as a temporary employee, and within two months, he was afforded permanent employment.
His main interest was electrical engineering; however, owing to financial difficulties, he was unable to finish his studies. This did not deter him from fulfilling his ambitions and just two years after joining VWGA, he was appointed as a Group Leader in Production.
Through further education and financial assistance offered by VWGA, he obtained an Operations Management Diploma in 2014.
“I wanted to pursue my dream of being an electrical engineer, but I was afraid that my age would stand in the way of that. However, when the opportunity for me to study further came, I was thrilled that the organisation would assist me, taking me a step closer to my dream,” Marcus says.
In 2021, he joined the VWGA's apprentice programme to start his new journey and career change. Being the oldest of the group of six, he wanted to prove that age is just a number and should not stand in the way of one's dreams. Currently, Petersen is practising his apprenticeship in mechatronics at the Volkswagen Technical Learning Academy.
“I want to show my colleagues that anything is possible, if you put your mind to it and you work hard for it. Now I have had the opportunity to travel to Germany to receive an award that recognises my hard work, and I couldn’t be happier,“ says Marcus.
“At Volkswagen Group Africa, we are committed to empowering our employees at every stage of their journey. Marcus’s achievement is an example of how dedication, continuous learning and support can unlock excellence,” says Russell Coleman, HR Director at VWGA. “His success is a reminder that growth has no age limit - and that investing in people is investing in progress.”
Chery has named its first bakkie for South Africa Grootman, a name chosen by South Africans. The model is planned to make its local debut in the first quarter of 2027.
Netcare Diagnostics (a Netcare Group business) is introducing its first fully electric vehicles to its transport fleet, starting with shorter urban routes for collecting patient pathology specimens.
South Africa’s new vehicle market recorded aggregate domestic sales of 61 645 units in September 2026, an increase of 12.7% compared with the 54 706 units sold during September 2025.
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Cars are the ultimate symbol of freedom, independence and individualism. They offer the freedom to ‘go anywhere,’ whenever it suits and with whom one chooses.
Sarah Redshaw
Netcare Diagnostics (a Netcare Group business) is introducing its first fully electric vehicles to its transport fleet, starting with shorter urban routes for collecting patient pathology specimens.
South Africa’s new vehicle market recorded aggregate domestic sales of 61 645 units in September 2026, an increase of 12.7% compared with the 54 706 units sold during September 2025.
SA Auto Week 2026 is scheduled to take place in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, from 13 to 16 October, with the event marking five years of SA Auto Week.