Number Of The Day | 16% | 18 May 2026
Nearly 16%.
That is today’s Number of the Day.
Gareth Edwards and Francis Herd look at the 15.7% growth in South Africa’s new car sales market, the strongest growth in a decade, and why that number matters beyond the showroom floor.
The pressure point sits in the used-car market. Francis explains that WeBuyCars had to drop some prices in the six months to March because new cars are coming in more attractively. Gareth points to the rise of Asian and Chinese vehicles, saying the value-for-money argument is getting harder to ignore.
The discussion follows how Chinese brands have moved from being rare on South African roads to climbing into the sales rankings. It also asks the bigger question: is this good news, bad news, or both?
For consumers, cheaper new cars may offer more choice. For local manufacturers, the shift raises questions around jobs, local production, import duties and competition.
16%. A car sales boom that may be changing the second-hand market too.
Catch up on all Number of the Day episodes here: https://www.enca.com/number-day-podcast
