According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), new car sales weakened in line with predictions during January 2016, while export sales took a significant knock due to logistical and shipment issues
Toyota (Brand of the Year in Cars.co.za's inaugural Consumer Awards) came out on top as South Africa’s best-selling manufacturer, while the Volkswagen Polo Vivo took the top spot as the best-selling vehicle for the month of January 2016.
New car sales summary – January 2016
- 48 615 aggregate new vehicle sales down by 6.9% (3 613 units) compared with January 2015.
- 13 057 export sales down by 21.9% (3 652 units) compared with January 2015.
- 34 936 passenger car sales down by 6.1% (2 272 units) compared with January 2015.
- 12 074 light commercial vehicles down by 8.3% (1 090 units) compared with January 2015.
Top-selling car brands in South Africa January 2016
|
Brand |
Total sales |
Market penetration % |
|
1. Toyota |
10 888 (+1 771) |
22.4% |
|
3. Volkswagen |
8 714 (-155) |
17.9% |
|
3. Ford Motor Company |
6 524 (+179) |
13.4% |
|
4. Nissan |
5 231 (+681) 3 616 (+581) |
7.4% |
|
5. GMSA |
3 437 (- 1 804) |
7.1% |
Top selling new cars in South Africa – January 2016
|
Model |
Total Sales |
|
3 287 (+753) |
|
|
2. Toyota Hilux |
2 773 (+44) |
|
3. Ford Ranger |
2 348 (-566) |
|
2 336 (-252) |
|
|
1 970 (-255) |
New vehicle sales outlook
Consumers are in for a bumpy ride in 2016 as the projected economic growth is only 0.5% for the year. New vehicle prices will increase during the course of 2016 and interest rate hikes will continue to put consumers under pressure. The new car market is expected to decline by around 9% in 2016 and the recent weakening of the Rand has also had a negative impact on fuel prices which has exasperated an already fragile economic environment. As a result of all this turmoil, the used car market is gaining more traction as buyers seek more bang for buck.
