Motor Vehicles

As the largest manufacturing sector in South Africa’s economy, vehicle and component production accounted for 29.9% of the country’s manufacturing output in 2018 compared to 30.1% in 2017. The broader automotive industry’s contribution to gross domestic product was 6.9% which comprised 4.4% for manufacturing and 2.5% for retail. The country’s weak macro-economic environment, pressure on consumers’ disposable income and fragile business and consumer confidence, resulted in new-vehicle sales declining marginally in 2018. Exports of automotive products, which reached a record R178.8bn, were shipped to a record 155 export destinations, up from 149 in 2017.

New Technologies

Sales of hybrid petrol and diesel vehicles totalled 144 units in 2018, down from 303 in 2017, while electric car sales declined to 58 units in 2018 from 68 units in 2017. An increasing number of South African manufacturers plan to introduce electric vehicles in the next two years, but growth will be determined by the development of public charging infrastructure. In March 2019 there were 867 electric vehicles registered in the country. Nissan and BMW have been at the forefront of a joint initiative to increase the adoption of electric vehicles in South Africa, but their attempts to get government to agree to incentives for electric vehicles to reduce the retail price has been unsuccessful.

Report Coverage

This report focuses on the motor vehicle industry, which incorporates the manufacture, distribution, servicing and maintenance of motor vehicles and the manufacture of components. It includes information on the state and size of the industry, sales, export and import statistics, and comprehensive information on factors that influence the sector. There are profiles of 109 companies including major manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, BMW, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen, which will collectively invest R39bn in new capacity over the next five years. Other companies profiled include listed companies Motus Holdings and Combined Motor Holdings.