New-vehicle sales continued their downward trend in June, declining by 4.8%, to 50 251 units, compared with the same month last year.
Sales numbers released by the Department of Trade and Industry show that new-pas- senger-car sales dropped by 6.6% in June, to 33 035 units.
Sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and minibuses, at 14 756 units, increased by 1.5%, while sales of medium trucks, at 804 units, dropped by 11.4%.
New heavy truck and bus sales plummeted by 16.3%, to 1 656 units.
Good NewsThe good news is that new-vehicle exports continues the positive trend seen to date. The local automotive assembly industry sold 31 422 units to markets abroad – a 33.8% gain on June last year.
The South African truck market continues to be under “immense pressure”, with June the sixth consecutive month of declining sales this year, comments UD Trucks South Africa MD Rory Schulz.
The half-year sales figures show a 5% decline, compared with the first six months of 2014.
“When analysing South African truck sales for the first half of 2015, it is clear that local economic conditions and a lack of confidence in future growth are really starting to hit the market hard. “Electricity supply challenges, fuel increases and anticipated interest rate hikes are continuing to dampen vehicle sales,” notes Schulz.
The outlook for the rest of the year remains unfavourable with stagnant economic growth predicted.