New-vehicle exports from South Africa to the rest of Africa have improved by 9.8% in 2018 compared with 2017, “following a number of years of sharp decline”, says the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) in its newest quarterly business review.
Export sales to the rest of Africa reached 61 015 units in 2014, dropping to 41 431 units in 2015 and 21 848 units in 2017.
New-vehicle export sales to Africa numbered 23 988 units in 2018.
Naamsa says the improvement suggests that demand from the rest of Africa has stabilised and “is starting to recover, albeit from a low base”.
The association adds that exports from South Africa to North America declined substantially in 2018 owing to the phasing out of BMW 3 Series exports to the US.
Exports of the 3 Series sedan have been replaced by the BMW X3, with the focus now on European markets.
New-vehicle exports from South Africa to North America dropped by 70% in 2018, to 13 037 units.
In contrast, exports to central America picked up 86.1%, to 1 511 units. Exports to Europe increased by 22.7%, to 233 772 units, with South America up 61.3%, to 5 787 units.
In total, new vehicle exports from South Africa improved by 3.9% in 2018, to 351 139 units.
Domestic market sales, however, were down by 1% in 2018, to 552 190 units
Naamsa’s quarterly report also indicates that fourth quarter 2018 employment in the South African new-vehicle manufacturing industry declined by 781 jobs, to 29 484 positions, following six years of stability.