The South African Experience

By Roy Willson

Well, that's another year over for the Quality Reporting Dealer Team Repairs and the Top Tech 2001 Jaunts.

We had a large quantity of fault-finding to sort out that other Volkswagen dealers couldn't repair (9 in all) and I am pleased to say that we fixed them all with flying colours.

Regarding the Top Tech 2001 Jaunts, I think that all the technicians who went on a trip had an excellent time and enjoyed themselves apart from poor old Jeff Murdoch, who managed to get a wet 3 days at the Corby Raceway.

Well, I must say that my meeting in SOUTH AFRICA was an excellent experience. It started off at Port Elizabeth with a coach trip to the Volkswagen factory in Uitenhage where the Golf Mk 4 and Jetta's (Bora) are assembled. They will be also assembling the new Polo model this year, plus the good old faithful Mk 1 Golf (for the South African market)

the South African Chico Golf

Volkswagen South Africa is Africa's largest motor vehicle manufacturer, serving both the local and international markets. The first Beetle rolled off the production line in 1952 and last year was their 50th anniversary.

Our tour started in the morning, looking round the factory. I must say it was like going back in time seeing engine blocks being bored out on an open assembly line. There were no robotics and paint spraying was done from a hand gun with no water-based paints used at all, but the new quality control points all around the factory were excellent.

After the factory tour, it was down to the main reason for the visit, which was to have a meeting with factory MD Hans-Christian Maergner and all the fine managers to discuss quality problems. I think all my technicians will remember me checking all new 'T chassis Golfs for faults, but after seeing the new quality control at the factory, I can now see why we found only a small number of faults. Put it this way, Wolfsburg vehicles have at least as many faults as their South African made counterparts.

The meeting went to plan, but I did get a bit apprehensive after seeing Mr. Maergner at a large board table and seeing his Line Managers jump when he spoke, then having to speak to him about the faults on his vehicles! All I can say is I got out of South Africa without a spear In my back!

After an excellent day at the factory, it was off to the Addo Elephant Park for an evening game drive, Four Land Rovers full of workshop managers and crates of beer was fun unless you were sitting in the rear seats because we had to look out for lions in the dark. It's amazing how quickly one can 'water one's pony when there are lions about!

After the game drive and finding the lions, it was BBQ time back at the Addo Elephant Park lake. The food was excellent and I was most impressed that MD Hans Christian Maergner and most of his line managers came for the food and didn't mind at all mixing with the boys. This, I'm sure, left a lasting impression on us all.

Next day, we were up early to catch the coach down to Port Elizabeth airport for the two hour flight to Cape Town and a two day stay at the Victoria and Albert Hotel, After lunch it was back on a coach to go to the Table Mountain Cableway and take a cable car ride to the summit. And what a view it was! You could see for miles all the way round, because the top of the mountain is flat.

Wine tasting trip unearths a catch of Beetles

Day two was another early call for a trip to the Spier Wine estate for wine tasting. (It's a hard life!) We all thought we were going by coach again, but around the back of the hotel, we just found just a line of old Beetles and being a Beetle nut, I started asking questions. I discovered from a driver that we were going the 40 miles to the wine estate in them (Brilliant!!).

Chris Coetzee - who runs the local VW hire Co (VW S.Africa PR Debt). He has over 250 Beetles ready for hire.

On the last day, we had a few hours shopping and we went for a boat trip to Robbin Island and a tour round the Robbin Island Prison. It was quite moving to see the actual cell where Nelson Mandela was held for all those years. After this trip, it was back to Capetown Airport for the eleven-and-a half hour flight back to England (Knackered!!)