Johannesburg - Holding up well under the circumstances would be the best way to describe South Africa's vehicle sales figures for the past few months and the most recent numbers, released by Lightstone Auto , showed a 1.4 percent year-on-year slip last month.
South Africans bought 55 722 vehicles in August, with 79.8 percent taking place through the dealers while 13.1 percent went to the rental industry, 3.6 percent to corporate fleets and 3.5 percent were snapped up by government.
While passenger vehicle sales fell by 2.7 percent compared by August last year, the light commercial segment enjoyed a 2.1 percent gain. It was a mixed bag for the heavier commercials, with the MCV market declining by 3.5 percent and the HCVs posting a 0.1 percent gain.
Export sales proved to be a proper silver lining in August, with an 18.5 percent year-on-year gain to 21 116 units. With new C-Class production gaining momentum, global economies improving and production numbers recovering from the recent industry labour unrest, South Africa's export picture is likely to get even rosier.
The weak rand is sure to help that too, although it's certainly not going to do local car prices any favours.
These above-inflation price increases are seen as a major hindrance to the market, along with slow economic growth and rising interest rates.
Naamsa predicts that the vehicle market will decline by between four and five percent this year - with the year-to-date sales deficit currently sitting at 4.3 percent. However, this would still mean a total sales figure of around 620 000 units, which is relatively high in historical terms.
TOP COMPANIES - AUGUST 2014
1. Toyota - 10 949
2. Volkswagen - 8617
3. Ford - 6778
4. AMH/AAD - 6148
5. General Motors - 5723
6. Nissan - 4142
7. Mercedes-Benz - 2839
8. BMW - 2744
9. Renault - 1432
10. Honda - 1010
TOP 50 SELLERS - AUGUST 2014
1. Toyota Hilux - 3238
2. VW Polo Vivo - 2756
3. Ford Ranger - 2312
4. VW Polo - 2267
5. Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest - 1928
6. Nissan NP200 - 1553
7. Toyota Etios - 1502
8. Chevrolet Utility - 1368
9. Toyota Quantum - 1272
10. BMW 3 Series - 1212
11. Ford Figo - 1181
12. Isuzu KB - 1166
13. Mercedes C-Class - 1082
14. Toyota Fortuner - 959
15. Nissan NP300 - 897
16. Ford Fiesta - 887
17. Chevrolet Spark - 873
18. Ford EcoSport - 800
19. Chevrolet Aveo - 655
20. VW Golf - 590
21. Ford Kuga - 540
22. Audi A3 - 458
23. BMW 1 Series - 452
24. Toyota RAV4 - 427
25. Nissan Qashqai - 417
26. Renault Sandero II - 411
27. Audi A4 - 395
28. Renault Clio - 394
29. Ford Focus - 361
30. Toyota Avanza - 353
31. Mazda BT-50 - 348
32. Renault Duster - 334
33. Chevrolet Cruze - 300
33. Honda Brio - 300
35. Chevrolet Sonic - 297
36. VW Jetta - 290
37. Nissan Almera - 289
38. VW Tiguan - 264
39. VW Amarok - 262
40. Honda Jazz - 256
41. BMW 4 Series - 243
42. Opel Corsa - 224
43. Toyota Land Cruiser PU - 222
44. Ford Ikon - 214
44. Jeep Grand Cherokee - 214
46. Audi A1 - 207
47. Mercedes M-Class - 202
48. Honda CR-V - 195
48. Mercedes B-Class - 195
50. Suzuki Swift - 192
*Hyundai/Kia supply aggregate figures only and thus could not be included in this list.
TOP EXPORTS - AUGUST 2014
1. BMW 3 Series - 6438
2. VW Polo - 6390
3. Toyota Hilux - 3688
4. Mercedes C-Class - 3422
5. Ford Ranger - 3035
6. Nissan NP300 Hardbody - 715
7. Nissan Hardbody - 493
8. Toyota Corolla/Quest - 173
9. Isuzu KB - 149
10. Toyota Fortuner - 139