INSIDE YOUR POCKET - Vehicle sales growing, but storm clouds loom, warns TransUnion

Loading player...
GUEST – Kriben Reddy - Vice president of Auto Information Solutions at TransUnion Africa)

South Africa’s automotive industry shrugged off ongoing vehicle price inflation, declining consumer credit health and looming macro-economic storm clouds to record an increase in vehicle sales in the fourth quarter of 2022 – but all indicators suggest a tough year ahead.

This is according to the latest findings from TransUnion’s Q4 2022 Vehicle Pricing Index (VPI), that showed that the new vehicle index jumped from 2% in Q4 2021 to 7% in Q4 2022, with used vehicles moving from 7% to 9.1% in the same period. The findings show that:

• The number of financial agreements in the passenger vehicle market in Q4 increased by 1.5% year-on-year, with new vehicle deals surging by 13% and used vehicle deals decreasing by 3.4%

• A year ago, 2.31 used vehicles were sold for every new vehicle; in Q4 2022, this declined to 1.98. In the used vehicle market, 20% of cars sold were less than two years old

• Demo models financed made up to 4% of used financed deals, which indicates consumers are opting for older vehicles wherever possible, while car prices and pressure on disposable income increase

• The number of purchasers for hybrid and electric models grew 10 times for hybrids and six times for electric in 2022

• Consumers between the ages of 26 and 40 bought nearly 46% of all vehicles financed, of which 73% were used
1 Mar 2023 6PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Reading South Africa's Economic Pulse

South Africa's economic activity weakened again in October, but there are emerging signs that pressure on households and businesses may begin to ease. Independent economist Elize Kruger unpacks the latest PayInc Economic Index, the fuel price outlook, consumer behaviour, business confidence and the key economic trends to watch heading into…
11 Nov 12PM 10 min

EasyEquities' Next Growth Chapter

Charles Savage, CEO of Purple Group, joins Kaya Biz following another year of expected double-digit earnings growth. The conversation explores the power of platform scale, the evolution of EasyEquities, the R100 billion client asset milestone, AI, international growth ambitions and the future of retail investing.
11 Nov 12PM 15 min

Dipula Properties Delivers Fy’2026 Distributable Earnings jump of 22%

Dipula Properties delivered earnings growth ahead of guidance while aggressively reshaping its portfolio through acquisitions, disposals and a deeper focus on retail and industrial property. CEO Izak Petersen joins Kaya Biz to discuss the company's expansion strategy, the outlook for listed property, and why convenience retail remains central to its…
11 Nov 12PM 19 min

Premier Bakes H1’2026 Operating Profit Surge Of 52.5%

Premier FMCG reported a strong set of interim results, with earnings growth, expanding margins and early benefits emerging from its acquisition of RFG Holdings. CEO Kobus Gertenbach discusses integration progress, consumer spending trends, commodity price dynamics and how Premier plans to sustain growth as it scales into a larger and…
10 Nov 12PM 16 min

South Africa’s Construction Capacity Question

South Africa is betting heavily on infrastructure to drive economic growth, yet concerns remain about project delays, contractor failures, skills shortages and shrinking industry capacity. We speak to Tshidiso Lekgetho, Acting Registrar of the SACPCMP, about the real state of the construction sector, the importance of professionalisation and accountability, and…
10 Nov 11AM 18 min