Bad news for WeBuyCars, a local car factory at risk, and the petrol price for August

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

Bad news for WeBuyCars and Weelee in South Africa

Used car sellers like WeBuyCars are experiencing a drop in sales as consumers shift back towards new vehicles.

According to TransUnion, new-car sales are on the rise thanks to the influx of affordable models imported from China and India.

The report found that motorists would rather buy a new Chinese car than a second-hand model from a different manufacturer, which often retail for a similar price despite their high mileage.

What you’ll pay for petrol in South Africa this August

Motorists can hopefully look forward to a decrease in the price of petrol this August, though diesel users won’t be as lucky.

According to new mid-month data published by the Central Energy Fund, petrol is expected to come down next month, while diesel is set to go up.

The government has stated it plans to review South Africa’s fuel price calculations, but this is unlikely to result in any meaningful reductions for consumers.

Concerns over major car factory facing shutdown in South Africa

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly worried about the future of its production plant in East London due to the economic challenges presented by the upcoming US tariffs.

This is according to Eastern Cape Premier Mlungusi Mvoko, who voiced his concern about Mercedes’ indication that it may close its local factory.

The United States is one of Mercedes’ primary markets, but South African exports are set to be with a 30% tariff on 1 August, adding to the 25% tariff implemented in April and the flat 10% universal tariff.

South Africa’s driving licence printer lie

The announcement that South Africa will get a backup driver’s license card printing has raised questions over why a special machine was required to produce the documents for nearly thirty years.

This was noted by Rob Handfield-Jones, managing director of Driving.co.za, who explained that the speed at which they secured a backup system implies that a special card machine was unnecessary.

South Africa’s only licence printer is 27 years old and has broken down several times, yet the government previously insisted that the country should only have one machine to avoid corruption.

New Nissan Navara Stealth launched in South Africa

Nissan has officially launched the new Navara Stealth in South Africa.

The Stealth is a unique mid-range option for the locally-made Navara bakkie, which was last seen six years ago.

It is available in 2×4 and 4×4 formats, and prices start at  R695,200.