There’s a common perception that crimes like hijacking mainly occur after dark, but latest statistics show us that drivers must remain vigilant at all times! The times of the day when most hijackings used to occur have shifted, as criminals are now operating more frequently earlier in the day.
Hijackings are a huge concern in South Africa, and latest statistics show this type of crime continues to increase! Tracker’s latest Vehicle Crime Index shows that hijackings and car thefts had significantly increased towards the end of 2023. This is based on data collected from over 1.1 million Tracker subscriptions. In South Africa hijackings accounted for 55% of all vehicle crime incidents, while theft accounted for 45%. The SAPS’s latest report shows that approximately 66 cars are being stolen daily, a 6.5% rise from the previous year.
According to Ernest North, the co-founder of Naked Insurance, hijackers seems to be operating earlier in the day compared to historical data. 54% of vehicle hijackings happens between 05h00 and 12h00, 47% from 12h00 to 21h00, and 25% between 21h00 and 05h00.
Shopping malls remain a hotspot for thefts in South Africa. Tracker’s data had flagged sporting and schooling events as high risk areas for hijackings and car thefts across the country.
Of the reported incidents, Gauteng experienced the highest volume of vehicle crime, with 61% of the total incidents occurring there.
Industry related new appointments:
From the private sector,- Daimler Truck SA appointed Olaf Petersen, as their new vice president for sales & marketing. In his previous position since 2019, he was responsible for sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz Trucks and FUSO at Daimler Truck Middle East and Africa in Dubai.
In Cabinet, Barbara Creecy has been appointed as the new Minister of Transport. She previously served as the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. The new Deputy Minister of Transport is Mkhuleko Hlengwa who held the position of Chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA).
The stronger rand in June led to yet another expected fuel price cut on Wednesday, 3 July for South Africans. According to the latest data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), petrol prices are showing an over-recovery of between R1.01 and R1.07 per litre for petrol and a smaller 27-33 cents per litre for diesel.
Looking back on the new vehicle sales statistics for June, Naamsa said that the continues downward slope in the new vehicle market since August 2023 emphasised the constraint economic environment in the country.
Total domestic new vehicle sales in June 2024, at 40,072 units, reflected a further substantial decrease of 6,531 units, or a loss of 14,0%, from the 46,603 vehicles sold in June 2023. Sales for medium and heavy truck segments of the industry also performed weaker for June 2024. Medium size truck sales recorded at 531 units shows a decline of 203 units compared to the same period last year, – a whopping 27% drop! Heavy truck sales at 2 061 units also showed a decrease of 272 vehicles or 11,2% to the corresponding time last year.
The June 2024 exports sales number at 28,306 units reflected an increase of 977 vehicles, or 3,6%, compared to June
However, let’s all hope that the markets respond positively to the announcement of the new Cabinet and with a third month of no load-shedding, a further price drop at the fuel pumps and likely lower interest rates to commence before year-end, brighter economic prospects for the second half of the year are steadily improving.
In closing, I would like to thank and give credit to Businesstech, Fleetwatch Magazine and Naamsa for providing some of these useful information! With all these positive factors, let’s hope we can warm up July (what is known as the coldest month of the year in South Africa) with lots of sales in the industry!
