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

El Niño Returns: Why SA Agriculture Is Ready

El Niño is back — but unlike previous drought cycles, South Africa enters the 2026/27 season with record soil moisture, dam levels at 95.5%, improved grain stocks and strong veld conditions. Absa AgriBusiness’ Loffie Brandt explains why the sector is better positioned, what risks remain, how rainfall timing and extreme…
14 Sep 2PM 9 min

Google SA on Practical AI Adoption

Ahead of the Nedbank IMC, Google SA’s Kabelo Makwane explains why many organisations remain stuck in AI pilot mode — and what separates those extracting measurable value. He breaks down leadership mindset, organisational readiness, responsible adoption, and how marketers can use AI to drive customer value, personalisation and growth.
14 Sep 1PM 21 min

DBSA Delivers R7.8bn Profit: Inside the Numbers

The DBSA has posted one of its strongest financial performances in recent years — net profit up 47% to R7.8bn, operating income up 21.7%, and disbursements rising to R20.7bn. But the picture includes rising NPLs, higher expected credit losses and liquidity pressure. CEO Boitumelo Mosako unpacks the drivers behind the…
14 Sep 12PM 19 min

Lesaka Turns Profitable: FY2026 Milestone Explained

Lesaka Technologies has delivered a landmark FY2026 performance — meeting or exceeding every guidance metric, surpassing the top end of its Adjusted EPS range, and achieving full‑year net profitability for the first time since its 2022 rebrand. Net Revenue rose 20%, Adjusted EBITDA climbed 41%, and Adjusted Earnings surged 229%…
10 Sep 1PM 14 min

FirstRand Delivers Record Dividend Despite UK Provision Hit

FirstRand has posted a resilient full‑year performance for June 2026, delivering the highest dividend payout in its history despite a sizeable UK motor commission provision. Underlying operations remain strong: FNB and RMB posted double‑digit profit growth, continuing operations delivered 13% earnings growth, and ROE reached 24.9%. CEO Mary Vilakazi explains…
10 Sep 1PM 14 min