Sales of Great Wall Motors Limited (GWM) vehicles more than doubled in the six months to June, latest statistics have shown, as products from China continue gaining a foothold locally since Zimbabwe looked East more than a decade ago.
BY BUSINESS REPORTER
The total industry volume statistics showed that GWM was leading the pack ahead of established models like Nissan, Toyota, Mercedes and Jaguar.
Zimoco, the official distributor of GWM vehicles, sold 43 units up from 19 recorded during the same period last year.
Sales of GWM have been rising since 2010 as locals fell in love with the Chinese-made vehicles. GWM is a Chinese automobile manufacturer formed in 1984.
Three brands GWM, Mercedes and Jaguar ruled the roost in the six months recording sales growth of over 40% bucking the prevailing economic crisis, latest statistics have shown.
In total 1 866 vehicles were sold down from 2 122 units registered last year Sales for Mercedes vehicles were up 45,5% to 32 units. Zimoco are the distributors for Mercedes Benz vehicles.
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Jaguar sold three units up from last year’s two.
Nissan sales were 28,8% up to 434 units during the period under review. Nissan South Africa is the distributor of Nissan cars.
Chevrolet, distributed by Autoworld, sold 197 units up from 156. Toyota sales were 14% down to 350 from 407 last year.
The local motor industry is constrained by the unavailability of affordable financing from banks to boost the uptake of new cars.
The industry is also under threat from the importation of cheap imports from Japan and the UK.
Local car assembler Quest insists it has the capacity to supply the local market if it is supported by government if it enforces the directive that parastatals and government departments have to buy cars from local assemblers.
Importers of new cars say there should be as many players as possible relying solely on local assemblers can be suicidal after the demise of Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries.
