Despite new-vehicle sales declining 3.5% in December 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, the market ended an encouraging 22.1% higher year on year.
After the pandemic-related 29.2% sales slide from 536,612 units in 2019 to 380,206 in 2020, the 2021 market reflected a strong rebound increasing year on year to 464,122 units.
Sales are still far off the 536,612 units sold in 2019 before the pandemic, but it was a satisfying 2021 performance by an industry that has had to deal with numerous challenges ranging from global supply chain disruptions, insufficient model availability, persistent load-shedding, escalating logistics cost, as well as several domestic shocks, said Mikel Mabasa, CEO of the Naamsa automotive business council.
“Fortunately, the domestic new-vehicle market’s resilience continued and the domestic economic disruptions caused by the civil unrest, the cyberattack on Transnet operations, the three-week strike in the steel and engineering sector, the adjusted alert level 4 lockdown restrictions during the second half of the year as well as record fuel prices and a first interest increase in three years did not deter sales too much,” he said.
Passenger car sales rose 23.3% to 303,961 from 2020 to 2021, bakkies and light commercials increased 20% to 133,079 units, heavy trucks and buses were 22.1% up to 19,564 units, and medium trucks and buses rose 11.6% to 7,518 units for the year.
Mabasa says many Covid-19 disruptive elements are expected to remain in play in 2022 and the market will be hampered by escalating cost increases and supply chain disruptions, such as the global semiconductor shortages impacting on the availability of certain models.
These were SA’s 50 best-selling cars of 2021
Despite new-vehicle sales declining 3.5% in December 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, the market ended an encouraging 22.1% higher year on year.
After the pandemic-related 29.2% sales slide from 536,612 units in 2019 to 380,206 in 2020, the 2021 market reflected a strong rebound increasing year on year to 464,122 units.
Sales are still far off the 536,612 units sold in 2019 before the pandemic, but it was a satisfying 2021 performance by an industry that has had to deal with numerous challenges ranging from global supply chain disruptions, insufficient model availability, persistent load-shedding, escalating logistics cost, as well as several domestic shocks, said Mikel Mabasa, CEO of the Naamsa automotive business council.
“Fortunately, the domestic new-vehicle market’s resilience continued and the domestic economic disruptions caused by the civil unrest, the cyberattack on Transnet operations, the three-week strike in the steel and engineering sector, the adjusted alert level 4 lockdown restrictions during the second half of the year as well as record fuel prices and a first interest increase in three years did not deter sales too much,” he said.
Passenger car sales rose 23.3% to 303,961 from 2020 to 2021, bakkies and light commercials increased 20% to 133,079 units, heavy trucks and buses were 22.1% up to 19,564 units, and medium trucks and buses rose 11.6% to 7,518 units for the year.
Mabasa says many Covid-19 disruptive elements are expected to remain in play in 2022 and the market will be hampered by escalating cost increases and supply chain disruptions, such as the global semiconductor shortages impacting on the availability of certain models.
Load-shedding, rising interest rates and fuel prices are expected to impact vehicle affordability, and Naamsa expects new-vehicle sales to rise about8% in 2022.
Last year the Toyota Hilux retained its spot as SA’s best selling bakkie and most popular vehicle overall, with the Volkswagen Polo Vivo the highest selling passenger car.
Top 50 selling new vehicles – 2021