The VW Group Africa (VWGA) has announced that Chairperson and Managing Director Martina Biene will leave her position at the end of the month to take a new role at Škoda.
Biene is joining the VW sub-brand as a new Board member for Sales and Marketing, paving the way for Christiane Zorn to take the mantle as MD at VWGA effective 1 October 2026.
When she took the role in November 2022, Biene became the first female appointed as Chairperson and Managing Director at VW Group Africa.
At the time, it became her second spell at VWGA, following her tenure as Head of Volkswagen Passenger Brand from October 2018 until August 2020.
During this time, Biene steered VW to achieve a record market share of 20.4% in 2019. She also served as the President of the Association of African Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) from October 2023 until July 2026.
Under Biene’s leadership, VW’s manufacturing plant in Kariega achieved its highest production volume of 167,084 Polo and Polo Vivo units in 2024.
It was in the same year that the German automaker announced a R4-billion investment to add a third production line to build the Tengo crossover SUV at Plant Kariega starting next year.
The entry-level crossover SUV was officially unveiled at VW’s 75th anniversary in South Africa celebrations earlier this week.
“It has been an honour to lead and work with such a great and resilient team. Despite the challenges facing both the automotive industry and our company, we have achieved many milestones worth celebrating,” said Biene.
“The early launch of the Tengo ranks highly amongst these achievements for what it will bring to Plant Kariega production and our SUV sales offensive plans in South Africa and other markets on the African continent.”
A new boss for VW in Africa
Biene’s successor, Christiane Zorn, is currently serving as Vice President of the Overseas Region at Porsche until she takes over in Kariega.
She also has 20 years’ worth of work experience in the automotive industry, having joined BMW in 2013 after several years as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group.
Zorn’s time with BMW included roles in Munich, Germany, and Beijing, China.
From March 2020, the incoming VWGA Chairperson and MD also held various management roles at Audi.
These include tenures as the company’s Head of Sales for China, Head of Product Marketing and Head of Product Strategy.
Zorn will officially take over the reins at VWGA on 1 October 2026, pending the completion of the necessary regulatory and statutory processes.
“I am excited to join Volkswagen Group Africa and play my part in driving the future of Volkswagen in Africa with the team,” she said.
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