Slowdown in business and lack of confidence, impacting smaller companies
The slowing economy is resulting in a continuing slide in the sale of medium commercial vehicles in South Africa. The slowdown in business and a general lack of confidence is impacting on many of the smaller companies and one-man-band operations that purchase this category of vehicle.
Sales for the first two months of 2015 totalled 1 374 units, which was 18,8% below the figure at the same time last year and the lowest total since 2012. Mercedes-Benz SA is once again not providing detailed sales figures but only total sales per commercial vehicle category, so there is no split between Sprinter and Canter sales in the medium segment.
Commercial vehicle sales for the first two months of 2015 totalled 1 374 units, which was 18,8% below the figure at the same time last year for
The big change in the log table from 2014 is that both the Isuzu N-Series and Iveco Daily/Power Daily have overtaken the Volkswagen Crafter behind the Sprinter/Canter and Toyota Dyna/Hino 300-Series.
According to NAAMSA the outlook for total vehicle sales in 2015 at this stage remained one of marginal volume growth in domestic sales – principally based on projections of an improvement in South Africa’s economic growth rate to around 2%, as well as anticipated relative stability in automotive industry industrial relations, moderating consumer price inflation and stable interest rates and credit ratings.
The key imponderable revolved around security and stability of electricity supply. However, forecasts for the commercial vehicle sector see the market being flat or slightly below the 2014 figure, with the only bright spot being an expectation of buoyant sales in the extra-heavy category, which is partly due to demand for trans-border transport.