The SA Automotive Sector has raised concerns about the decline of local vehicle production and consumption.
Production slipped by 3% in 2024 to an estimated 515,850 units.
Factory capacity as well as falling exports, are some of the sector’s challenges as well as stiff competition from imports.
Nduduzo Chala, COO of NAACAM (the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa), wrote last week “at our recent localisation roundtable, we highlighted the growing risk this poses to South Africa’s automotive value chain, from weakened supply chains to reduced industrial depth. Without the right policy mechanisms to support both production and local market uptake, the full value of localisation cannot be realised.”
The second Gauteng Investment Conference (GIC) 2026 on the April 9, 2026, aiming to raise R200 billion in new investment commitments, is seen as a platform to address industry challenges.
Picture: USC Consulting