Exports of built-up vehicles from South Africa fell by almost 5 per cent from 179 859 units in 2006 to 171 237 units last year. The main reason was the slow start up by Mercedes-Benz in exporting the new C-Class. Only 6 436 of these new cars were shipped in 2007, compared to the 24 158 export units that left South African shores in the previous year.

However, the strong demand for this new car will ensure MBSA bumps ups its volume again this year. Add in the high volume exports of new Corolla by Toyota SA from March and we are in for a bumper export year in 2008.

However, this is in the future. Let's look back to 2007.

Toyota SA is certainly the new powerhouse of the local built-up car export programme, following a long delay before it could land a truly high volume contract. Toyota's total export of 59 378 units last year amounted to 35 per cent of the South African total and 20,8 per cent up on the 2006 figure.

The next-best exporter was BMW SA on 38 523 units (22,5 per cent), which was virtually identical to the volume shipped in 2006 (38 207 units and 21 per cent). VW remained a strong third, but its total of 35 633 units for 2007 was slightly down on the 2006 figure of 36 071, although share remained at about 20 per cent.

Ford, which heard in the course of last year that it had lost the export contract for the next Focus to Australia, continued to slip in export volumes. Only 16 395 units were shipped compared to 19 477 in 2006, which is a drop of almost 26 per cent.

Then comes a huge gap to the only other exporter of note, being Nissan with
6 328 units shipped - mostly into Africa. The Rosslyn-based manufacturer is now being chased by GM's Hummer project, with 5 158 of these go-anywhere vehicles being shipped from Port Elizabeth during last year.

Interestingly, Japan was the largest market for SA exports, with 39 748 vehicles going there - including 1 394 Toyotas and 329 Nissans. Other big markets were Australia (34 034) and the United States (18 764).

The South African motor industry's exports into Africa are very disappointing if one takes out the huge contribution by Toyota SA of 74 per cent (28 776 units). This was 17,5 per cent up on its 2006 figure of 24 478 (71,5 per cent). Its biggest markets were Algeria (9 346 units), Nigeria (6 921) and Angola (2 109)

The only other companies shipping more than 1 000 units into Africa in 2007 were Nissan (5 905 units, which was slightly down on the 2006 figure of 6 046), Isuzu (1 832 units, which was marginally more than the previous year's figure of 1 712 units). Overall exports into Africa by SA motor manufacturers grew by 13 per cent on the back of Toyota's growth, totalling 38 767 units last year.