A feature published on Bizcommunity and issued by Algoa FM describes Algoa Country, the stretch of South Africa from the Garden Route through the Eastern Cape to the Wild Coast and inland through the Karoo, as a strategic economic corridor where automotive manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, renewable energy and tourism converge. The article is the radio station’s own account of its listening area, so the figures below are Algoa FM’s and we have not independently confirmed them.
Motor manufacturing
In motor manufacturing, the feature says the first VW Beetle rolled out of the Kariga plant, formerly Uitenhage, in August 1951, and that the plant became the sole global assembler of the VW Polo, with more than one million cars produced. Volkswagen Group Africa has now invested R4bn ahead of the launch of the Tengo, a car developed by engineers and designers from Algoa Country and Brazil.
Isuzu Motors SA reported a record 2025/26, with production up 21% year on year: its Nelson Mandela Bay plant built 27 400 D-Max bakkies and 3 800 commercial trucks. VSL Manufacturing is investing R750m in a new stamping facility to support Isuzu production. With Mercedes-Benz South Africa, FAW Trucks South Africa, BAIC South Africa and Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa’s engine plant also operating in the region, about 70% of South Africa’s automotive component manufacturers are based in, or linked to, Algoa Country.
Farming
Agriculture, forestry and fishing contributed R13.5bn to regional gross domestic product in 2024, up from R11.7bn the year before. The Eastern Cape produces about 60% of South Africa’s lemons, holds 25% of the national beef herd (around three million cattle), produces 30% of the country’s dairy milk and supplies nine million kilograms of cheese a year to Famous Brands franchises such as Steers, Wimpy and Debonairs. The arid Karoo produces 34% of South Africa’s wool clip and 42% of the world’s mohair, and the Plett Winelands include about 16 boutique wine farms.
Ports and logistics
The region has four commercial ports. The Port of Ngqura is the deepest container port in sub-Saharan Africa and the Port of Gqeberha is a major export and import gateway. The port at Mossel Bay supports a petroleum sector centred on the state-owned PetroSA gas-to-liquids refinery, and the Port of East London is linked to the city’s Special Economic Zone, which supports automotive, agriculture, bulk cargo and dry dock services. MSC Logistics is investing R500m to expand maritime and logistics infrastructure around the Ngqura and East London ports, and the region’s road and rail corridors link it into national supply chains.
The three project figures the feature names, R4bn at Volkswagen, R750m at VSL and R500m at MSC Logistics, add up to R5.25bn. The feature itself says only that the region is “attracting billions of rands in investment” and does not give a total. For more on how companies are positioning around South African growth corridors, see our Business coverage.
