Even Style and Top Brands are About the Numbers
The Johannesburg International Motor Show (
) has been described as the fashion catwalk of the automotive industry in South Africa. But as with the glamorous worlds of Gucci, Victoria Secret and Dolce & Gabbana, behind the brands lurk economic engine rooms and statistics that drive and define the industry’s contribution to the global economy. The contribution of the automotive industry to the South African economy underpins a sector that balances reality with class and aspiration, which is expressed in the high quality exhibitions, demonstrations and displays at JIMS.
The automotive industry contributes 7% of South Africa’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In real terms it means that one in every 12 people in South Africa is touched, directly or indirectly, by the immediate or associated production and sales processes of a car or commercial vehicle.
Some other key statistics and recent facts about the SA automotive industry:
- 29 903 – Number of people employed by new vehicle manufacturing sector in SA as of end June 2013 (source dti/NAAMSA)
- 29 180 – Average number of people employed in the new vehicle manufacturing sector in SA in 2012 (Source dti)
- R5.2bn* – Investments by SA vehicle manufacturers in 2013 (Source: NAAMSA, *estimate)
- 11.8% – Total automotive exports as a percentage of SA’s total exports
- R36.9bn – Components exported from SA to top 10 export markets in 2012 (Source: AIEC)
- R11.5bn – Components exported to Germany in 2012 (AIEC)
- 16.2% – Catalytic converter exports as a percentage of total component exports in 2012 (AIEC)
- 5000 – Approximate number of people employed in the manufacturing, production and exports of catalytic converters.
- 623 921 – Total number of vehicles sold and exported in 2012 (projection 675 000 for 2013, an 8% increase)
- 84 111 – Total number of sales of imported vehicles in SA through Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) in 2012 (Source: RGT Smart)
- 42.8% – Percentage change in new vehicle exports to North America (first half 2012 to first half 2013)
- 12% – Percentage change in new vehicle exports to Africa (H1 2012 to H1 2013)
- 9% – Increase in new vehicles sold in 2012 compared to 2011
- 33 – Consecutive years that Toyota has been number one in sales in SA motor industry
- 12% – Increase in sales of cars with smaller engines (less than 1.7l) in 2012 – largest single increase in different engine size categories
- 22% – Increase in production of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) in 2012
- 300 – Approximate number of small and medium enterprises manufacturing components for the highly specialized automotive industry
- 55% – Percentage of total local component manufacturing in SA sold to automotive industry