The transport sector in South Africa is the second largest emitter of GHG in the country, responsible for 10.8% of GHG emissions, with road transport accounting for more than 90% of these emissions. From 2000 up to now, there has been a steady increase in GHG emissions from passenger cars. In 2000, GHG emissions from passenger cars were approximately 10 Mt CO₂ equivalent. If no action is taken, it is projected that emissions from passenger cars will increase to over 30 Mt CO₂ equivalent by 2050 in South Africa.

The number of registered cars in South Africa increased from 5,596,491 in 2010 to 6,845,804 in 2015, representing an increase of 22.3%. The number of passenger cars sold in South Africa decreased from 368,114 in 2017 to 304,340 in 2021, representing a decrease of 17.3%.

Compiled using data from Transport Statistics Bulletin: 2015.

Compiled using data from naamsa.

Only around 23% of vehicles on South Africa’s roads are between 0 to 5 years old, around 30% of vehicles are between 6 to 10 years old and over 40% of vehicles are between 11 to 20 years old.

The automotive manufacturing industry in South Africa contributes to 2.4% of the country’s GDP. In 2021, vehicle exports from South Africa represented a total value of R133.2 billion, with the top 5 export destinations representing the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. On the other hand, vehicle imports to South Africa in 2021 had a total value of R50.9 billion, with the top 5 import locations representing India, Japan, China, Germany, and South Korea.

Most of the vehicles in South Africa run on gasoline, accounting for approximately 82.9% of new vehicle sales, and diesel which accounts for around 16.9% of sales. On average, a new passenger car in South Africa consumes 6.3 liters of fuel per 100 km. There is minimal uptake of electric vehicles in South Africa, with only 205 electric vehicles sold in the first half of 2022. However, in general, an increase in electric vehicle sales can be observed from 2018 to 2021, with the exception of 2020 when electric sales went down, which can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the major challenges to the adoption of electric cars in South Africa is the high cost associated with import duties and limited local production.

Compiled using data from Bizcommunity.

There is a need for more accurate and timely data on passenger car emissions in South Africa.

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard South Africa Country Manager Deepti Chartiar

Learn More References:

• • Department of Transport. Green Transport Strategy for South Africa: (2018-2050). https://www.transport.gov.za/documents/11623/89294/Green_Transport_Strategy_2018_2050_onlineversion.pdf/71e19f1d-259e-4c55-9b27-30db418f105a [Accessed October 2022].
  • Department of Transport. Transport Statistics Bulletin: 2015. https://www.transport.gov.za/documents/11623/89294/Transport_Statistics_Bulletin_2015.pdf/584b1a84-3728-4b49-9576-b6c873b66bfc [Accessed October 2022].
  • National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa. 2022. Fuelling the economy. https://naamsa.net/fueling-the-economy-2021/ [Accessed October 2022].
  • 2022. How many EVs were sold in SA in the first half of 2022? https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/795/230929.html [Accessed October 2022].
  • Posada, F. 2017. South Africa’s new passenger vehicle CO₂ emissions baseline analysis. https://www.globalfueleconomy.org/media/461030/africa_icct-sa-fe-baseline-report_final.pdf [Accessed October 2022].
  • 2022. Average age of South Africa’s cars. https://topauto.co.za/news/52827/average-age-of-south-africas-cars/ [Accessed October 2022].
  • Business Insider South Africa. South Africans are buying more electric cars – but high import duties limit variety, affordability. https://www.businessinsider.co.za/electric-cars-in-south-africa-expensive-due-to-import-duties-2022-6 [Accessed October 2022].