Consumer confidence drives strong vehicle salesSouth Africa’s new vehicle market maintained its strong momentum in July, with almost 85% of all vehicles sold during the month being retailed through dealerships. Total new vehicle sales reached 57 708 units in July, an increase of 11,9% compared with the same month last year. Passenger vehicle sales rose by 12,5% to 40 912 units, the strongest monthly passenger car performance since September 2014, while light commercial vehicle sales increased by 10,6% to 13 710 units. Medium commercial vehicle sales increased by 19,4%, recording their strongest monthly performance since March 2023, while heavy commercial vehicle sales grew by 16,4% and extra-heavy commercial vehicles improved by 7,9%. “Commercial vehicle purchasing is often one of the earliest indicators of business activity,” says Martin van den Berg, NADA commercial vehicle executive.