Volkswagen Community Trust

The Volkswagen Community Trust was established in 1989 to channel Volkswagen Group South Africa’s community investment into the towns around its vehicle manufacturing plant in Kariega, Eastern Cape (formerly Uitenhage). Based in Kariega, the Trust has run a bursary programme for more than three decades, aimed primarily at students from Kariega, Gqeberha and the wider Nelson Mandela Bay metro — the region that supplies much of VWGA’s workforce. Bursaries typically cover registration and tuition fees, prescribed books and stationery, accommodation, meals and a laptop for study purposes.

The Trust’s motivation is closely tied to Volkswagen’s long manufacturing history in the Eastern Cape: by investing in local students, particularly in engineering, commerce and other fields relevant to automotive manufacturing, VWGA aims to build a homegrown talent pipeline for its own plant and supplier network while supporting broader socio-economic development in a region that depends heavily on the motor industry for jobs. Recipients are also given access to vacation work at VWGA, mentoring and additional academic support during their studies, reinforcing the link between the bursary and the company’s operations.

Volkswagen Community Trust bursaries carry a work-back obligation: recipients are required to work for VWGA for a period equivalent to the number of years their studies were funded, and may be liable to repay the value of the bursary if they do not take up or complete this service, subject to the Trust’s discretion and the availability of a suitable placement.