PRETORIA – Domestic new vehicle sales have been in line with general industry expectations and registered modest improvements, in the case of new car and light commercial vehicle sales, compared to the corresponding month last year, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) has said.
Elaborating on the new vehicle sales statistics in South Africa and Namibia for the month of February 2015 – released yesterday for public consumption on the website of the Department of Trade and Industry, NAAMSA said as anticipated, export sales of new motor vehicles had recorded further strong growth, and the SA vehicle manufacturing and exporting industry was now showing clear signs of realising its full potential, particularly in respect of vehicle exports.
In the event, February 2015 aggregate new vehicle sales at 52 368 units registered a gain of 584 vehicles or 1.1 percent compared to the 51 784 vehicles sold in February last year. Moreover, the February 2015 export sales at 29 760 units reflected a remarkable improvement of 7 819 vehicles or a gain on 35.6 percent compared to the 21 941 vehicles exported in February last year.
Overall, out of the total reported industry sales of 52 368 vehicles, an estimated 44 347 units or 84.7 percent represented dealer sales, 7.1 percent represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 4.6 percent to industry corporate fleets and 3.6 percent to government. These were estimates due to the fact that Mercedes-Benz currently only supplies an aggregate sales number.
The February 2015 new car market had recorded modest gains and at 34 909 units reflected a welcome improvement of 525 units or a gain of 1.5 percent compared to the 34 384 new cars sold in February last year. Despite the lack of sales data on the contribution by Mercedes-Benz to car rental sales, the car rental Industry had again made a positive contribution and had accounted for 9.9 percent of new car sales in February, 2015.
Domestic sales of industry new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini buses at 15 139 units during February, 2015 reflected a gain of 268 units or an improvement of 1.8 percent compared to the 14 871 light commercial vehicles sold during the corresponding month last year.
In contrast, sales of vehicles in the medium and heavy truck segments of the industry had registered fairly substantial declines. Medium commercial vehicle sales at 768 units and heavy commercial vehicle sales at 1 553 units, reflected a decline of 151 units or 16.4 percent in the case of medium commercials and, in the case of heavy trucks and buses, a decline of 57 vehicles or a fall of 3.5 percent, compared to the corresponding month last year.
Industry new vehicle exports at 29 760 during February 2015 had registered, as expected, strong gains compared to the corresponding month last year rising by 7 819 vehicles or 35.6 percent.