Call-a-Car is able to cater to the needs and aspirations of emerging first time buyers who are looking to buy more affordable, yet reliable cars.
March sales definitely exceeded all expectations and for the first time ever, total sales including non-reporters, exceeded 60,000 units in one month.
We believe that these facility developments will enable us to further enhance our service offerings to our customers.
These results are a great achievement for Call-a-Car, and indicate that the consumer is becoming more technologically advanced and is starting to rather venture online than physically go to various vehicle dealerships.
South Africa is currently in the longest upward business cycle since 1945, having experienced 28 consecutive quarters of positive growth.
One solution is to search world markets for cheaper entry-level vehicles, with China an obvious possibility. The industry should also continue to explore innovative vehicle finance packages to allow more people to enter the market.
Dealers pushed particularly hard in March in order to qualify for their quarterly sales incentive bonuses.
There is still a lot of momentum in the market and we see no evidence of demand slowing down in the near future.
Modest vehicle price increases brought about by rand depreciation, the impact of local inflation, and substantial increases in the price of steel, plastics and paint could impact negatively on vehicle sales.
McCarthy Limited has confidence in the future of the South African vehicle industry, and we expect meaningful growth through to 2010. The upgrading and expansion of our dealer network will put us in an excellent position to capitalize on future opportunities.
