WHILE SALES may be languishing in South Africa, General Motors’ African operations are on track for a record year. The division, which has its headquarters in Port Elizabeth, sold nearly 111 000 vehicles in the first half of 2008, growing total volume by 35% over the same period last year. Led by a 95% increase in Egypt and 82% growth in North and West Africa, this is the first time the company has sold more than 100 000 vehicles in the first six months of a calendar year, positioning the region to reach an historic 200 000 units or more. “We’re looking for 2008 to be another record-setting sales year for our African operations,” said GM African operations president Stevan Koch. 2008 will mark GM’s fifth consecutive year of record sales in Africa. Chevrolet vehicle sales increased 77% in the first half of 2008 over 2007 while small and midsize vehicles soared, growing 123%.. “We’ve been building momentum for the last several years in Africa, tripling our business between 2002 and 2007,” Koch said.
