Archive
Almost No Sales in April, More Tough Times Ahead
Leo Kok
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6 May, 2020
The April 2020 sales statistics, published by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA, makes for gut-wrenching reading. While Naamsa has not made detailed statistics available, the association has noted that only 574 vehicles were sold last month, meaning the domestic market is down by 98.4%, with export sales also down by 97.3%.
Why Can’t We Buy Grey Vehicles in South Africa?
Leo Kok
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23 Apr, 2020
Cars are already – relatively speaking – very expensive, and in these unpredictable times could become even more so. We’re spoilt for choice in South Africa, however, there are still some cars we cannot get here. So why can’t we import used cars? Leo Kok deep dives into the pros and cons of this practice and how it might effect our local industry.
Massive Decline in Vehicle Sales a Sign of Things to Come
Leo Kok
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3 Apr, 2020
There is no way of sugar coating the massive decline in the automotive market in March this year. According to the official new vehicle sales statistics, as aggregated by Naamsa, only 33 545 new vehicles were sold in March this year. That represents a drop of 29.7% or 14 150 new cars, trucks and bakkies when compared to the same month in 2019.
Covid-19 Lockdown Possibly an Existential Threat to Automakers in SA
Leo Kok
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30 Mar, 2020
The automotive industry is bracing itself for a tough time, as manufacturing plants and retail sales across South Africa grind to a halt, says Leo Kok. And what about consumers? How will something like Covid-19 alter buying patterns? By possibly preventing people from spending altogether or making them buy smaller, more affordable vehicles?
Making Sense of The Naamsa Numbers – February Ends in The Red
Leo Kok
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3 Mar, 2020
The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA recently released sales statistics for February 2020. Overall, the market remains in the red, with a decline of 0.7% compared with February last year and, surprisingly, a decline of 8.4% in vehicle exports in the same month. Leo Kok dons his favourite bifocals to properly examine the stats.
Japan Owns its Heritage With The Rise of The Takumi
Leo Kok
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21 Feb, 2020
A takumi is a craftsperson who has devoted his or her life to mastering a specific craft, be it woodworking, metal crafting, leatherwork, paper cutting or sword making, to name but a few. In the most traditional application of this term, a takumi will only be recognised as a master of his craft after 60 000 hours of dedicated practice.
Under Pressure in 2020
Leo Kok
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18 Feb, 2020
The South African new vehicle market is in for a rough ride in 2020, with pressure on businesses, individuals and the economy in general and little hope of recovery. This is the view of WesBank, South Africa’s largest vehicle and asset financier. The bank recently published its annual market predictions, calling a market that will be down by 3.5%.
Poor Sales in January Point to Declining Market in 2020
Leo Kok
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5 Feb, 2020
The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) repeated its well-worn mantra on Monday 3 February, saying the market continued its decline in January 2020. The industry declined by 8.1% in total (39 475 total units sold), when compared to the same month last year and by 5.2% compared to December 2019.
The Rise and Rise of the Uber Bakkie
Leo Kok
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29 Jan, 2020
It started more than a few years ago with the Nissan Navara V9X and has picked up momentum with bakkies from VW, Ford and Mercedes-Benz. Think of the new X-Class in 350d guise or the V6 Amarok, especially now in standout Extreme Edition trim, or more recently, the Ford Ranger Raptor… The Uber bakkie is here, and its here to stay, says Leo Kok.
The State of Affairs, Naamsa Affairs
Leo Kok
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13 Jan, 2020
The local industry body, Naamsa, reported on Tuesday that total new vehicle sales in December recorded an unexpected and welcome jump of 1 678 vehicles or 4.2%, compared with the same month in 2018. While this helped to lift the mood in the industry, it was too little too late to prevent a general decline in sales for the full year.
Vehicle Sales Stay Drop Back in May
Leo Kok
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3 Jun, 2019
Vehicle sales continued its slump that started in January, after taking a short breather in April, recording a combined sales total of 40 506 vehicles in May (Compared with May 2018, the passenger vehicle market declined by 1.4%). This is inline with the industry consensus prediction that the market will decline by 1% or more for the full year.
Slight Increase in New Vehicle Sales in April, Says Industry Body
Leo Kok
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1 May, 2019
Could there be light at the end of the tunnel for new vehicle sales? The 41 vehicle brands represented by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Naamsa) sold 36 794 cars, bakkies and other commercial vehicles in April, which is up by 266 units or a lowly 0.7% over the same month last year. Is the marking turning up? Leo Kok explains.
Red Ink in The First Quarter of 2019 as Car Buyers Hold on to Their Money
Leo Kok
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1 Apr, 2019
Monday’s vehicle sales announcement had a whiff of April Fools about it as the official sales statistics revealed further declines in March. Naamsa reported that 47 718 vehicles were sold last month, that’s 3,1% or 1 518 units down on the same month last year and it means that the first quarter of 2019 ended in the red!
Vehicle Sales End 2018 in The Red, Slight Growth Expected in 2019
Leo Kok
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10 Jan, 2019
Need a [TL:DR] summary of the national vehicle sales figures for 2018? Great! Here it is. We built and exported more cars than before, but we sold less. Our market is under some pressure, in line with the general economy, and vehicle rental sales propped up the market to some degree. We also give predictions for 2019 new vehicle sales.
Vehicle Sales Drop in November, Industry Expected to End Year in the Red
Leo Kok
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4 Dec, 2018
After a buoyant October, Naamsa, the national association of vehicle manufacturers of South Africa, reported a rather large decline of 4.6% over November 2017, with both passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles (bakkies) taking a knock. Industry pundits and experts expect the turbulent year to end in the red.
October Sales Surprises Industry Analysts
Leo Kok
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2 Nov, 2018
The South African auto industry sold over 50 000 vehicles in October, making it the best month in outright sales for the entire year. Naamsa – the national industry body – reported 51 886 sales for the month, which translates into a year-on-year growth of 1.7%! A positive sign after many months of disappointing new vehicle sales.
New Vehicle Sales up in July, Dominated by Toyota and Volkswagen
Leo Kok
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2 Aug, 2018
New vehicle sales started the second half of the year on a positive note, with total sales of 47 881 new cars, trucks, bakkies and busses in July. According to Naamsa, sales increased by 2.6% overall, with the best improvement in the passenger vehicle market of 4.3%. Leo Kok digs into the data for July 2018.
Rush Before Price Increases Boosts Vehicle Sales in March
Leo Kok
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10 Apr, 2018
Did you buy that new car in March, before VAT, ad valorem and the price increases kicked in? Well, a lot of people did and it certainly boosted March sales figures. 49 223 vehicles were sold, representing a 1.1% increase over last year. Leo Kok casts an expert eye, and takes a closer look at what’s driving the growth.
