Martina Biene, previously the Chairperson and Managing Director at Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA), steps into her new role as President of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM). She succeeds Mike Whitfield, who served from July 2020. Whitfield now serves as the Immediate Past President.
Founded in November 2015, the AAAM named Jeff Nemeth from Ford as its inaugural President, with Whitfield as Vice President. According to a [report by The Sun](#), AAAM stands as the primary entity pushing for the automotive industry’s growth in Africa. It collaborates with governments to draft investor-friendly policies.
Under Whitfield, the AAAM spearheaded the Continental Automotive Strategy and Implementation Plan. Key partners included the AfCFTA Secretariat, Africa Union (AU), UNECA, Afreximbank, and ARSO. In February 2023, the AfCFTA Council of Ministers in Botswana adopted this strategy. Furthermore, an AfCFTA Automotive Task Force has been set up, prioritizing the Rules of Origin.
The AAAM’s influence is evident. Membership surged from 17 in 2020 to 63 currently. Biene, with two decades in the automotive sector, began her journey with Volkswagen in 2001. Her roles spanned Sales, Marketing, Product Planning, and more across various countries.
In 2018, Biene led the Volkswagen Brand in South Africa. Two years later, she became the Head of Small and Compact Vehicle line in Germany. She returned to South Africa in 2022 to assume her present position.
Reflecting on her career journey, Biene said, “An internship in Cape Town sparked my passion for Africa. Now, my mission is fostering Africa’s industrialization via the automotive industry, ensuring growth and job creation. I’m grateful to Mike and the AAAM team for their groundwork. I aim to escalate automotive manufacturing from today’s 1.1 million vehicles annually to 3.5 or 5 million by 2035.”
