It looks like more new vehicles are finding homes in South Africa according to NAAMSA’s March 2021 report. Aggregate domestic sales in March 2021, at 44 217 units, reflected a substantial increase of 10 671 units, or 31,8 per cent, from the 33 546 vehicles sold in March last year. Export sales also recorded a huge increase in March 2021 and at 40 026 units reflected a gain of 11 137 units, or 38,6 per cent, compared to the 28 889 vehicles exported in March 2020.
Naamsa CEO, Mikel Mabasa said “the turnaround in the new vehicle market has commenced during March 2021 compared to the corresponding month last year when the country lockdown restrictions resulted in the temporary suspension of vehicle production and sales towards the end of March 2020”.
Overall, out of the total reported industry sales of 44 217 vehicles, an estimated 37 572 units, or 85,0 per cent, represented dealer sales, an estimated 8,7 per cent represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3,7 per cent sales to government, and 2,6 per cent to industry corporate fleets. The March 2021 new passenger car market at 27 330 units had registered an increase of 5 187 cars, or an improvement of 23,4 per cent, compared to the 22 143 new cars sold in March 2020. The car rental industry accounted for a solid 12,3 per cent of car sales in March 2021.
Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini-buses at 14 375 units during March 2021 had recorded an improvement of 4 941 units, or a massive increase of 52,4 per cent, from the 9 434 light commercial vehicles sold during the corresponding month last year. Sales for medium and heavy truck segments of the industry also reflected a positive performance and at 705 units and 1 807 units, respectively, showed an increase of 73 units, or 11,6 per cent in the case of medium commercial vehicles, and, in the case of heavy trucks and buses a substantial gain of 470 vehicles, or an improvement of 35,2 per cent, compared to the corresponding month last year.
The March 2021 exports sales number at 40 026 units reflected a massive increase of 11 137 vehicles or 38,6per cent compared to the 28 889 vehicles exported in March 2020. For the first three months of 2021 vehicle exports were now 13 019 units, or 16,8 per cent above the corresponding period last year.