October vehicle statistics released by the Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) paint a mixed performance picture.
According to the latest Naamsa report, aggregate domestic new vehicle sales in October, at 41 035 units, reflected an increase of 2 341 units, or 6.1% compared to the 38 694 vehicles sold in October last year. Export sales, on the other hand, recorded a decline of 10 159 units, or 30.0%, to 23 685 units last month compared to the 33 844 vehicles exported in October 2020.
“Sales for medium and heavy truck segments of the industry reflected a mixed performance, and at 576 and 1 775 units respectively, showed a decline of 97 units, or 14.4% in the case of medium commercial vehicles. In the case of heavy trucks and buses, there was an increase of 88 vehicles, or a gain of 5.2% compared to the corresponding month last year,” the report reveals.
Although the October 2021 vehicle exports recorded a fall, year-to-date exports are still 12.0% ahead of the same period last year.
Naamsa also confirmed that Neale Hill, recently appointed president of Ford Motor Company Africa, had been elected unopposed as the new Naamsa president for a two-year term.