In order to determine the top automakers in Africa, Sagaci Research collected data over the course of a year using the SagaPoll mobile app. The study highlights the differences in preferences among regions. Japanese and German automakers have long engaged in competitive rivalry.
Algeria tops the list with 43% of the population owning a car
Kenyans picked Toyota over all other brands by a wide majority (72%). Subaru came in second. BMW, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz placed third through fifth, respectively. The majority of respondents claimed that in South, East, and West Africa, Toyota is still preferred.
Leading Brands in South Africa
The leading brands in South Africa, however, were Toyota, Ford, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Hyundai, and Audi. The survey looks more closely at how many people own cars in each nation. With a population of 43% who own cars, Algeria tops the list according to this criterion. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia follow with 37%, 33%, and 30%, respectively. Julien Garcier, executive director of Sagaci Research, claims that certain cultural norms and biases continue to prevent women and persons from lower socioeconomic rungs from owning cars.
Car ownership in Africa
Shared ownership or car rentals are still for many in Africa a faraway vision, but they are progressively becoming more widespread in Europe. Although things are changing quickly, he noted that some brands appeared to be riding the trend and having success.
Interestingly, he continued, "car ownership amongst the lower income groups (SEC DE - monthly income below 250 USD) in some countries was more than the continent's average of 17% - in Guinea, 26% within SEC DE reported owning a car, probably as a result of the country's laxer regulations on vehicles."
