VOLKSWAGEN has become the latest manufacturer to turn to factories in South Africa to produce right-hand-drive stock for the UK as demand for its cars across the European markets rockets. VW is importing an additional 6,000 Golfs from South Africa this year.

These extra cars will arrive before some existing orders for German-built models, and will enable the manufacturer to satisfy more customers. The move follows a successful initiative to import supplies of the Mark 3 Golf from South Africa while European plants prepared to make its successor.

Likewise, earlier this year BMW announced it would import an additional 3,000 South African-built 3-series cars, in a one-off consignment to meet higher than anticipated demand for the run out model. BMW's South African plant assembles cars for the domestic African market and for Australia.