/ 4 November 2004

August motor trade sales up 25%

Motor trade sales for August rose by 25,5% year-on-year (y/y) to R15,361-billion, Statistics South Africa said on Thursday.

For the three months ended August, motor trade sales increased by 21,2% compared with the same period in 2003.

The seasonally adjusted motor trade sales for the three months ended August 2004 increased by 10,2% compared with the previous three months.

Motor trade sales for the first eight months of 2004 increased by 16,3% compared with the first eight months of 2003.

South African new vehicle sales in October 2004 increased by 22,9% y/y, or 7 957 units, to 42 660 units after rising in September by 22,7% y/y, 18,8% y/y in August and 15% y/y in July, figures released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) on Tuesday showed.

Naamsa said it had been the best overall October sales month on record. The year to date aggregate new vehicle sales were 19,7% ahead of the same period a year ago — at 372 195 units.

October new car sales rose by 16,9% year on year to 28 268 units after September new-car sales increased by 21,2% y/y to 29 109. In May 2003, only 17 380 units were sold. On a year-to-date basis, new car sales remained 196% ahead of the corresponding period in 2003. — I-Net Bridge