The South African Truck Market has started the year 2013 in much the same fashion as it ended 2012, with steady sales results sustaining a mildly positive trend. The total of 1 923 trucks, buses and vans with Gross Vehicle Mass ratings of more than 3 500 kg reported to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) during the month of January, 2013 was nearly 5% better than the final audited result for December, 2012, and an improvement, by a margin of 13,7%, on the outcome for the equivalent month of January, 2012.
At this stage, all volumes quoted here still include aggregated MCV sales recorded by Associated Motor Holdings and Amalgamated Automobile Distributors, which, currently, are made up exclusively of Hyundai-branded light truck models, and NAAMSA's estimates, by segment, for deliveries by Mercedes-Benz South Africa, who, as directed by their overseas principals, have continued to report only aggregated sales data to the local organisation. NAAMSA has indicated in a recent press release that they expect some normalisation of the reporting situation early in 2013.
As published, the January market composition was made up of 700 Medium Commercial Vehicles (GVM ratings between 3 501 kg and 8 500 kg), 329 Heavy Commercials (goods vehicles with GVM ratings between 8 501 kg and 16 500 kg), 851 Extra Heavy Commercials (goods vehicles with GVM ratings above 16 500 kg) and 43 passenger Buses with GVM ratings above 8 500 kg. While January's MCV and HCV volumes displayed only single-dgit differences from the absolute levels reported by these two segments in December, 2012, the premium payload EHCV segment returned a month-on-month improvement of 28,9% over its December return, and Bus sales, without the benefit of the school bus deliveries recorded in December, fell back to a level well below this segment's 2012's monthly going rate of nearly 91 units.
Dr. Casper Kruger, Vice President of Hino in South Africa, comments: "The month of January, with its gradual return to normal trading and vehicle processing conditions following the year-end holiday period, is traditionally one of the year's two lowest volume sales months for the commercial vehicle industry. Nevertheless, the result recorded last month can be seen as encouraging for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, with sales having started the new year off at a substantially higher level than had been the case in 2012, and continuing to sustain the momentum that was established during the course of last year."
Kruger continues: "It was also pleasing to note the appearance of a new reporting participant in the market statistics, whose local sales of Chinese-sourced MCV, HCV and EHCV segment models, over a substantial period of time, had previously gone unrecorded. It is hoped that this spirit of greater transparency will permeate to other suppliers who have previously chosen to avoid, or limit, their detailed reporting of local sales. Comprehensive market intelligence is important to local government institutions and commercial entities to facilitate effective planning of infrastructure and investments, as well as ensuring the availability of capital equipment, to secure the effective realisation of the country's development potential. This addition of new reporting participants to the market will inevitably add some additional momentum to sales volumes, and it is notable that the January total market outcome was boosted to the tune of 29 units by this process, with the EHCV segment being the major beneficiary".
Kruger concludes: "The month-on-month improvement of 191 units displayed by the EHCV segment in January was the main driver of the market's positive performance compared to the January and December 2012 outcomes. This result reflected a recovery from a lacklustre December EHCV return that had been handicapped by the closure of bodybuilders, equipment suppliers and trailer manufacturers for the holiday season. While the present macro-economic scenario of weak Rand exchange rates and rising global oil prices is sure to create some turbulence in the local road transport industry, helpful elements such as improved vehicle availability and persisting low interest rates will continue to support a marginally positive outlook for commercial vehicle sales in 2013 ".
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