Martina Biene, Volkswagen Group South Africa's chairperson and president of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), has called on Saturday the continent to start manufacturing electric vehicles, praising Egypt's progress in this file. Speaking at the Africa Automotive Show 2023 taking place on the sidelines of the third edition of IATF 2023 in Cairo, Egypt, Biene said Africa's share of world trade is 3 percent of global exports. The intra-Africa trade represents only 16 percent of the global share, she added. However, fortunately, "Therein lies the huge opportunity for us as African countries, for us as African businesses and automotive firms should serve in discovering these huge opportunities in Africa," Bienne said. The AAAM official said the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) also provides a huge framework to unlock this African potential in terms of trade and in terms of training in Africa. 'The macro and macro-economic indicators in Africa point us (Africans) toward a great not only future but breaks demand of mobility in Africa over the years to come." "We must find ways to make these fantastic new cars available to the population. So that can be mobility but that also talks to vehicle isn't financing," Bienne referred to the opportunities in Automotive Value Chain, referring to the multiple opportunities, in the passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses, as well as two wheelers, "and there's component manufacturing." "There's also a huge opportunity for Africa in electric vehicles because you've got all the critical raw materials at hand in Africa," African Automotive Forum kicked off on Saturday at the third edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2023).
