Car sales contract by 11.3% in May
Vehicle sales dropped by 11.3% in May to a total unit sale of 1,171 from April’s 1,320 units while still advancing 14.8% year-on-year from 1,020 units in May 2025.
CHAMWE KAIRA
Vehicle sales dropped by 11.3% in May to a total unit sale of 1,171 from April’s 1,320 units while still advancing 14.8% year-on-year from 1,020 units in May 2025.
The result was the strongest May print since 2016 and comfortably above the 951-unit trailing five-year mean for the month.
The pullback from April was expected and constructive. April itself was recovering from March’s exceptional 1,662-unit surge, and May’s print reflects the natural settling of that sequence rather than any deterioration in the underlying demand impulse, Simonis Storm said.
On a cumulative basis, the first five months of 2026 closed at 6,326 units, more than 22% ahead of the 5,181 units recorded in the equivalent period of 2025 and the strongest year-to-date showing since 2018.
