JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Audi South Africa is pleased to announce the appointment of Markus Schuster as its new country lead, effective September 2025. His appointment marks an important new chapter for the brand in South Africa and reflects Audi’s long-term commitment to the local market.
Schuster joins Audi South Africa with more than two decades of global automotive experience across Germany, Italy and Singapore. Most recently, he served as Managing Director of Audi Singapore, where he successfully led the transformation of the subsidiary into Audi’s first direct-to-customer franchise worldwide. The pioneering approach put the customer experience at the focus of Audi Singapore’s activities, combining a multichannel sales platform with the Audi House of Progress Singapore.
“I feel honoured to take on the role of Head of Audi South Africa,” says Schuster. “South Africa is not only Audi’s biggest market on the continent, but also offers a dynamic, sophisticated and challenging automotive landscape. I look forward to working with our local team to continue building Audi’s presence and delivering progressive premium mobility solutions for our customers.”
Director Sales and Marketing of Volkswagen Group Africa, Simphiwe Nghona, adds: “Markus brings with him a track record of innovation and customer-focused transformation. His international perspective and leadership will be invaluable as Audi South Africa enters its next phase of growth.”
Strengthening Audi’s presence in South Africa
Schuster’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the brand. Audi South Africa is preparing to launch 21 new models over the next two years, underscoring its confidence in the local market. These include key additions such as the new Audi Q7 & Q8 range, the refreshed Audi A3 range, and the all-new Audi A5 Sedan, with the highly anticipated new Audi Q3 and Audi Q5 set to follow in 2026.
Recent investments of Audi’s retail partners, including the flagship Audi Centre Sandton dealership with its state-of-the-art architecture and digital integration, demonstrate Audi’s commitment to redefining the premium retail experience in South Africa.
Driving sustainable mobility
Drawing on his success in advancing Audi Singapore’s electrification strategy, including the introduction of several e-tron models and pioneering charging innovations, Schuster is poised to drive Audi South Africa’s next chapter in sustainable mobility. His approach to balancing customer expectations with technological advancement has been instrumental in establishing Audi as a progressive premium brand in competitive markets.
Continuity and future focus
As he steps into this role, Schuster will build on the strong foundations laid by Audi South Africa’s leadership team, ensuring continuity in strategy while driving forward digital transformation, customer experience innovation, and sustainable mobility initiatives.
This appointment reaffirms Audi’s long-term investment in South Africa and highlights the market’s importance within the brand’s international network.
Spunky Sphinx
Hans Karlsen grew a start-up from zero to $1.6 million revenues in first two years of operation. Over and above being a successful startup founder, Karlsen is a natural leader, enabler, engineer and negotiator with over 25 years of industry experience in a variety of high technology sectors. Karlsen has served as a CEO, managing director, board member, senior advisor and finance director (CFO). He describes himself as a “serial entrepreneur” with the drive, persistence, passion and ability to identify and pursue high-value opportunities.