The new car buying trend has continued unabated into the new year, with January 2026 figures reflecting a 7.5% increase in total vehicle sales and passenger car volumes up 7.1%.
Aggregate domestic new vehicle sales in January 2026, at 50 073, reflected an increase of 3 479 units, or a gain of 7.5%, compared to the 46 594 vehicles sold in January 2025. Export sales increased to 24 568 units, representing a gain of 136 units, or 0.6%, compared to the 24 432 vehicles exported in January 2025.
Overall, out of the total reported industry sales of 50 073 vehicles, an estimated 42 753 units, or 85.4%, represented dealer sales, an estimated 10.9% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 2.1% to industry corporate fleets, and 1.6% to government sales.
Toyota, Volkswagen Group SA and Ford Motor Company take up the positions of one, three and five respectively in the top five cars sold. This is significant because they are international manufacturers that have had manufacturing facilities in South Africa for many years. In this issue there are a number of stories that are related to the automotive industry in South Africa and the concerns being shown about the increase in the number of cheap Chinese variants that are being imported. Some of the Chinese OEMs are giving out signals that they intend to invest in the local manufacturing industry. One story relates to Nissan selling its manufacturing assets to Chery Auto South Africa, the leader amongst the Chinese OEMs in South Africa.
It would be very encouraging to see more Chinese OEMs invest in South Africa through the establishment of significant manufacturing capabilities in the country that could serve the wider continent’s growing demand. This could present more opportunities for the local foundry and machining industries as we all know the number of castings that still go into a vehicle is significant.
However, there are a number of challenges that these industries must encompass and thrive with rather than confront, like many other industries. 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM) are rapidly growing, transforming from prototyping tools to mainstream production, enabling mass customisation, complex geometries, and reduced waste in industries like aerospace, automotive, and healthcare, with significant market growth expected to continue through the 2020s and beyond, driven by automation, new materials, and increased ease of use. This technology builds objects layer-by-layer from digital designs, offering cost-effective, rapid, and flexible manufacturing, even for large-scale and highly customised parts, augmenting traditional methods rather than replacing them entirely.
In another story in this issue Dutch company CastLab uses additive processes to produce moulds, patterns and cores that are then used in traditional casting processes. This hybrid approach shortens tooling times and enables more complex geometries, while casting remains the preferred method for high strength and certifications. Depending on the application, components can be produced in a variety of alloys.
We also report on how BMW makes 4 000 3D printed sand cores per day and that they are installing a large 5 200 ton toggle-free two-platen die casting machine, which keeps them in the large die casting category. However, all the talk these days is about megacasting and gigacasting. The recently launched EX60 will be the first Volvo model to use so-called megacasting. Instead of assembling the rear structure from 60 to 100 welded steel components, these are replaced by a single, large high-pressure die cast aluminium structure.
But these mega and giga casting concepts are being challenged. Instead of Tesla-style gigacasting, Europe’s automakers are embracing gigastamping, a cheaper manufacturing alternative to gigacasting amid the industry’s costly shift to electrification and increasing competition from China.
Another story is about Sheffield Forgemasters who have installed a large-scale hybrid 3D printer and milling machine to radically improve casting manufacture. So much to contemplate – so much to keep up with.
Bruce Crawford
