Volkswagen Group South Africa has appointed Michaella Rugwizangoga (pictured) as the chief executive officer of Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda. Rugwizangoga, a chemical engineer, comes to Volkswagen with a wealth of strategic planning, project management and product development experience, the firm said in a statement yesterday.

The new CEO is a World Economic Forum global shaper and an active member of the Kigali Hub. "Rugwizangoga will be able to use her international experience and Rwandan heart to lead Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda to become an integrated part of Rwandan life," the statement added.

In January, Thomas Schaefer, the chairman and managing director of Volkswagen Group South Africa, announced the registration of Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda and the introduction of the integrated automotive mobility solution in Rwanda.

This exciting concept is a first for Rwanda and also a first for Volkswagen worldwide.

"Being asked to start and run a new company from the ground up, while having the opportunity to implement a world first in mobility solutions for Volkswagen, is a challenge I relish and am looking forward to. The conducive local environment is also the ideal springboard for future expansions across the African continent,” Rugwizangoga.

Schaefer said the new CEO "will be a worthy asset to our company”. "Rwanda’s forward thinking attitude to technology and development is one of the reasons we saw potential in this country. I believe that the offerings we will be introducing together with the support of Volkswagen partners and Rugwizangoga’s experience will see our innovative mobility initiatives prove to be successful,” he said.

Volkswagen will launch it’s mobility solution, including an assembly facility in Kigali by mid-year. All the mobility services will be accessed by the custom developed App through which all bookings and payment will be made. Services will also be able to be booked online or via a hotline to cater for people who do not have a smartphone.

Some $20 million will be spent in Rwanda by Volkswagen Group South Africa during phase one of the integrated automotive mobility solutions.