Expected record increase in May new vehicle sales

Unsurprisingly as a result of the Coronavirus enforced lockdown last year, South Africa’s new vehicle sales improved dramatically in May with a record uptick.

Aside from being up on April this year’s figures as well, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) recorded a 197.8% uptake from last year’s 12 874 to 38 337 this year.

Expectedly, all of the various segments ended the month in the black with passenger vehicles increasing 169% from 8 966 to 24 122, while light commercial vehicles shot-up 288.5% to 11 930 from last year’s 3 071.

Accounting for the comparatively smallest of gains were medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles where the former increased by 84.5% to 559 units and the latter by 223.2% to end the month on 1 192 vehicles. Another breaker setter was exports, which rose 196.8% to settle at 35 326 from the 11 901 units shipped last year.

“There are mainly positive of a robust recovery in the domestic as well as the global new vehicle markets over the next six months, as the domestic and international markets rebound from the low base of 2020.

“However, structural constraints in the economy, coupled to the growing debt of the country and the ongoing electricity capacity limitations would continue to curb a potential quick recovery to pre-Covid-19 levels,” NAAMSA said in a statement.

Out of the best performing manufactures, Toyota maintained its lead with 9 882 vehicles moved followed by Volkswagen (5 579), Ford (2 910), Hyundai (2 836), Suzuki (2 034), Isuzu (1 818), Haval (1 782), Nissan (1 746), Kia (1 521) and Renault (1 511).