BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) says it has clinched 40.6% market share in the premium car market in the first quarter of the year, according to sales statistics from naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.

A persistent buying-down trend amid a tough domestic economy has heavily impacted the South African premium market, where total sales were down from 34 428 units in 2023, to 30 634 units last year.

In 2020, premium cars had a 13% share of the passenger-car market, dropping to 9% in 2024.

South Africa’s premium car manufacturers in the first trimester of this year also faced a raft of potential tariff shocks from the US, which could affect their export sales.

BMW SA says its first-quarter success was amplified by Mini achieving a 6.2% market share, and BMW Motorrad (motorbikes) attaining a 43.9% overall market share.

Mini was boosted by the recent introduction of the new Mini Aceman and Mini John Cooper Works.

BMW said it owed much of its performance to “enthusiastic market reception” of the new X3, including the plug-in-hybrid vehicle (PHEV), which is produced at its Rosslyn plant, in Tshwane, for the local and export market.

“Fuelled by global demand and its pivotal role in the group’s electrification strategy, production of the fourth-generation X3 began in October 2024 at plant Rosslyn.

“Before its market introduction, the new X3 achieved a high volume of pre-orders, indicating strong customer resonance,” says the local arm of the German car maker.

It may have taken South Africans a while to warm up to electrified vehicles, but BMW SA reports that the PHEV made up a healthy 11% of X3 sales in South Africa in the first quarter.

The production of the new X3 has been supported by the reimplementation of the third shift at Rosslyn, with the three-shift operation projected to produce an average of 110 vehicles a shift.

“While acknowledging the evolving South African economic landscape, [we] remain focused on delivering exceptional products and services to local and international customers,” says BMW SA.

“The strong performance in March, particularly in passenger vehicle sales and exports, further underscores the positive momentum of the business.”