New-vehicle sales jumped by 197.8% year-on-year to 38 337 units in May, reports Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
An estimated 33 642 units, or 87.8%, were dealer sales, with 8.2% going to the vehicle rental industry, 2% to government and 2% to industry corporate fleets.
New passenger car sales increased by 169% to 24 122 units.
Sales of bakkies, vans and taxis grew by 288.5% to 11 930 units.
Medium-truck sales jumped by 84.5% to 559 units, while heavy-truck and bus sales increased by 223.2% to 1 726 units.
New-vehicle exports from South Africa gained 196.8% year-on-year to 35 326 units in May.
Vehicle exports for the first five months of this year were 67.2% higher year-on-year.
Naamsa notes that the domestic market’s sales and exports figures will remain distorted for the time being, in view of the hard lockdown restrictions that were in place during the second quarter of 2020.
However, the association believes the new-vehicle market is in gradual recovery mode, with year-to-date new-vehicle sales up 44.9% on the same period last year.