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Rwanda has begun producing locally built cars at Volkswagen’s new factory in the capital, Kigali.
The Polo is the first model being made at the site, and the German automaker plans to reach annual production of 5,000 cars in the first phase by also building its Passat, Tiguan, Amarok and Teramont models.
Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest carmaker, has invested $20 million in Rwanda and is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs. The company plans to sell vehicles and use them in an Uber-like car-sharing system that will let people book rides using smartphones.
Car ownership is low in Rwanda. The country of 12 million people has slightly more than 200,000 private cars registered, according to the country’s tax collection body.
The German company is expanding in Sub-Saharan Africa. It opened a Kenyan plant in 2016.
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