SA auto manufacturers extend their reach

Local exporters of components and vehicles continue to successfully penetrate new markets, according to the 2014 South Africa Automotive Export Manual published by the Automotive Industry Export Council (AIEC). It says “the reach in respect of the number of destinations of total automotive exports (vehicles and automotive components) from South Africa is increasing”. The number of export destinations for values of more than R1 million increased from 62 in 1995 to 152 in 2013. Export destinations worth more than R1 bn 2013 were, from the top, Germany, the United States, Namibia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Botswana, Algeria, Belgium, Australia, Zambia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Spain, France, China, Argentina, Swaziland, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. Exports to 21 countries exceeded R1 billion in 2013, and there were 64 countries that imported over R100 million worth of South African automotive components and vehicles. The main destinations for South African vehicles and automotive components remain firstworld markets. Diversification into new emerging markets is, however, “a continuing trend and underlines the automotive industry’s competitiveness drive and a widening of the country’s traditional trading base. “New trade and business links in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and, importantly, the new emerging automotive giants, China and India, are being forged,” says the report. This is ref lected in the top 10 destinations in the “above R100 million” category. They are the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Kenya, Poland, Lesotho, Russian Federation, Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi and Turkey. The top 10 countries in the “above R1m” category are Djibouti, Portugal, Honduras, Ireland, Panama, Greece, Republic of Congo, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.