Vehicle sales decline by a disappointing 5.8% in November

The November export sales number at 35 271 vehicles also reflected a marginal decline of 0.9 percent compared to the same month last year. Photo: AP

CAPE TOWN – November vehicle sales of 44 738 units in South Africa was a “disappointing” 5.8 percent decrease when compared with the same month last year, as the decline in local sales continued, a spokesperson for the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA said yesterday.

The November export sales number at 35 271 vehicles also reflected a marginal decline of 0.9 percent compared to the same month last year. 

But vehicle exports, at 374 215 units for the first eleven months of the year, had now already surpassed the previous annual record of 351 139 units exported in 2018, and there was one month still to go, although December was traditionally a quiet month for exports, the spokesperson said.

Year-to-date local vehicle sales of 494 996 units were 3.3 percent lower than the 512 207 vehicles that were sold year to date, for the corresponding period in 2018.

In November, 31 444 passenger cars were sold, a “welcome uptick” of 1.3 percent over car sales in November 2018, due mainly to strong support from the car rental industry.

Source: iol.co.za