They and their fellow G spots Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Georgia, Gambia and Grenada were among 152 countries and territories to which the SA motor industry exported in 2021. In 2020, there were 148 destinations.
These import figures include only assembly-line components. Throw in aftermarket spare parts and it’s a very different story: another R63.4bn of imports and an overall R24.3bn trade deficit. However, since these spare parts are brought in by independent importers, they are generally omitted from trade calculations.
Germany wasn’t just the largest automotive repository for SA, it was also our biggest trading partner. In return for our R66.5bn of goods, it sold us R51.6bn, giving SA a trade surplus of almost R15bn. Vehicles built in SA — of which over 60% are exported — are almost exclusively ICE. If they don’t want to give up many of their exports, the clock is ticking for SA motor companies to include more EVs in their production mix.