Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development: The BMW Group presents plans for a Multi-Purpose HIV/Aids Center in South Africa

Munich/Johannesburg. The BMW Group has initiated further steps in the fight
against HIV/AIDS in South Africa. On the occasion of the World Summit on
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the Group is presenting its plans for
a Multi-Purpose Center in the vicinity of the BMW Rosslyn plant. The Care
Center is being built in cooperation with SEQUA, an organisation of the German
Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

"We are delighted to have the opportunity through this community center to
further expand the programme of the BMW Group against HIV/AIDS in South
Africa", said Ian Robertson, President of BMW South Africa. "In collaboration
with SEQUA it will be possible here to provide communities with effective
measures for the prevention and care of HIV/AIDS."

Minimize the threat of HIV/AIDS

Alongside an HIV/AIDS testing and advice service, the planned centre will house
a health service, a library and also educational and mother/child facilities.
It is intended that the Multi-Purpose Centre will be financially
self-supporting and will be run by members of the community. The planning and
structural details are at an advanced stage, and it will be possible to
commence building this year. The centre is expected to be completed next year.
It will serve a community of approximately half a million people.

"The HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa has become an enormous threat, both
socially and economically. We cannot simply ignore the extent and consequences
of this disease among our workforce, our communities and in society at large.
That is why the BMW Group in South Africa has developed a special and effective
programme that offers individual and long-term solutions to minimise the
consequences of the pandemic. We are firmly convinced that our programme can
serve as a paradigm for other businesses", Ian Robertson stated when discussing
the steps taken.

The anti-HIV/AIDS programme of the BMW Group concentrates in equal measure on
education, prevention and treatment. An important part of the process is to
create a culture of trust. "Every one of our employees knows that any possible
infection will not have any discriminatory consequences for himself or his
family", Ian Robertson stated. "Knowing his infection status is a vital step
towards tackling the disease and its wide-ranging consequences".

A dedicated testing program

A study carried out in collaboration with the trade unions and Pretoria
University has since October 2001 recorded the level of awareness of BMW South
Africa's workforce of HIV/AIDS and of ways of treating the disease. The
findings of the so-called KAP Study (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) have
since been incorporated into an individually tailored HIV/AIDS Programme for
the workforce and their families.

"Our KAP Study showed that over 75% of the workforce would like to know their
HIV status. We have responded to this finding by offering a dedicated testing
programme", says Dr. Natalie Mayet, medical head of BMW South Africa's HIV/AIDS
programme. "Every employee receives individual counselling both before and
after the test. Currently one third of BMW South Africa's 3,000-plus workforce
have been tested for HIV. Thus far below 10% have tested positive, far below
the national average of over 20%.

Aid for AIDS

BMW South Africa employees and their families who are HIV-positive or suffering
from full-blown AIDS receive comprehensive medical care via the specially
developed 'AID for AIDS (AfA)' programme. Among other things this includes
complete treatment with all the medication they need, free of charge.
The distribution of condoms and educational material is a matter of course for
BMW South Africa. Among other things, 60 specially-trained 'peer educators'
among the workforce ensure on a voluntary basis that their colleagues are
provided with comprehensive information and education on HIV/AIDS.

Currently, the HIV/AIDS programme of the BMW Group is primarily geared to
employees and their families, thus reaching some 20,000 people at the moment.
The next step over coming months will be to extend the programme to take in the
BMW Group dealers and suppliers and their families. Thus by the end of November
2002 the programme should embrace around 40,000 individuals.

Additionally, the BMW Group initiated its educational work in its plants
kindergartens and in over 60 schools all over South Africa.

Alongside the comprehensive educational, preventive and treatment measures for
employees and their families, the BMW Group also supports the South African
government in developing successful packages of measures against the further
spread of the disease and in setting up networks for those affected by the
disease. BMW South Africa is not only a member of SABCOHA (South African
Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS) but also financial supporter of this
organisation.

The BMW Group HIV/AIDS programme is an example for the company's social
responsibility which goes beyond its workforce and includes a commitment to
society. In Johannesburg the company is presenting its projects in the BMW
Group Earth Lounge. They are best practice examples at an evening devoted to
the subject of 'Social Responsibility'.

www.worldsummit.de: the World Summit on the Internet

Visit www.worldsummit.de for the latest news from the Johannesburg World Summit
on Sustainable Development. You can download the entire press kit,
"Sustainability. It can be done." at www.press.bmw.com. More press pictures are
available there.

For questions please contact:

Corporate Communications

Konstanze Carreras, Public Relations, Societal Policy
Telephone: +49 89 382 52894, Fax: +49 89 382 28017

Michael Kirsch, General Manager Public Relations
Telephone: +49 89 382 25111, Fax: +49 89 382 26972

Media Website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
e-mail: presse@bmw.de