SA car and bakkie sales boom in November
South Africa’s new vehicle market delivered another strong performance in November. It continued the trend of recent months in hitting more than 50,000 units, with the 54,896 sales recorded in November representing a 12.5% increase compared to the 48,783 sold in the same month last year.
Year to date, the new vehicle market is 15.4% ahead of the corresponding period in 2024, which motor industry body Naamsa attributed to easing inflation, fuel price relief, reduced interest rates and a strengthened sovereign risk profile after South Africa’s first credit rating upgrade in nearly two decades.
The new passenger car segment recorded 39,158 units last month, an 11% increase over November 2024. Light commercial vehicles, including bakkies and mini-buses, sold 13,048 units for a 20.5% increase.
Sales in the low-volume medium and heavy truck segments reflected a mixed performance, with an 0.6% reduction for mediums and a 1.3% increase for heavies compared to November 2024.
“South Africa’s macroeconomic landscape in November presented a rare alignment of positive shifts in inflation, fuel pricing, fiscal credibility and monetary policy — each contributing to improved affordability and confidence across households and firms,” said Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa.
Fuel prices fell sharply in November while the Reserve Bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points. At 6.75% the repo rate is 1% lower than a year ago, which continues the rate-cutting cycle that began in September 2024.
Toyota again led the way as the country’s most popular automotive brand last month, selling more than double the number of cars as its nearest rival, Suzuki.
Chinese brands continue to grow stronger as consumers are won over by their affordability and high level of features. In November, notable movers included Chery which snatched seventh place from Isuzu, Omoda and Jaecoo jumped two places to 11th, and Jetour knocked Stellantis out of the top 15.
TOP 15 SELLING BRANDS IN NOVEMBER
- Toyota – 13,576
- Suzuki – 6,385
- Volkswagen group – 6,044
- Ford – 3,095
- Hyundai – 3,051
- GWM – 2,534
- Chery – 2,506
- Isuzu – 2,124
- Kia – 1,828
- Renault – 1,415
- Omoda and Jaecoo – 1,408
- Mahindra – 1,403
- Nissan – 1,330
- BMW group – 1,251
- Jetour – 1,235
Crédito: Link de origem