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Car Buying and Car Auctions in Africa
Africa is a Big Continent……….So we will start in The South and work our way up.
South Africa.
The Economy is South Africa is growing at a fast rate much like a lot of Africa. For many years the domestic market had protective importation laws due to the Countries own car production. Companies like Volkswagen and Toyota were and are big employers in South Africa. Some imports did enter the country but only entering from other African states. In recent years Laws have been relaxed and now there is a good supply of Japanese and UK cars entering the country.
The best resources to find vehicles and research prices in South Africa are bidorbuy . Bid or buy usually has over 100,000 cars on offer. Autotrader magazine has a South African division Autotrader.za they usually have around fifty thousand classifieds. Another place to have a look is vehicletrader.co.za. Vehicletraders usually have about ten thousand vehicles available online. For some reviews of New and Used models the best Car mag in South Africa is Carmag.co.za which also has a healthy classifieds section. Between these resources you should be able to get a good Idea of the used car market in South Africa. Many of the Auction companies below will list their stock and catalogues well in advance of the sale and some list sold prices and estimate prices so have a good look through their websites.
One of the biggest Auctions in South Africa that is open to the Public and has a good selection of imported vehicles is Burchmores.co.za. Burchmores have a trade agreement with British car auctions so if you are looking for high-end European stock this is a good place to start. Burchmores have sites in Joburb, Cape town and Durban and hold auctions most Thursdays and Saturdays. Check their website for times-dates and a stocklist.
Aucor is one of the biggest Auction companies in South Africa with branches in Johannesburg, Bloenfontein, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. They only hold specialist motor auctions when they have the required stock so check the site for details
In Durban Auctionoperation.co.za operate a sale of ex fleet cars from companies like Avis,Viamax , Sixt and Iemas. They always have a good selection of Utes , 4×4′s and off roaders. Every Tuesday they hold a repossession sale on their site at West Rand.
Imperial Auto Auctions operate Trade auctions of Bank repossession from their sites in Cape Town every Thursday and Gauteng every Tuesday. Supplying companies include Nedbank, Europcar and MFC. They auction several hundred cars per month so check their website for the latest auction listings.
In Pretoria you can try Citywheels They hold car auctions every Wednesday and Saturday. The auction catalogue is available on the website and is updated weekly.
Autoworld Hold live internet accessible auctions from their Midrand Auction site most Tuesdays. They usually only sell cars with clear title,service records and registration documents. The Autoworld.co.za website also lists some previous sale prices to give you an idea of cost and they can arrange transport. Check the website for full details and keep an eye out for their truck and commercial vehicle sales.
If you are looking to buy a really cheap runaround or a damaged car to repair the SMD is the place to look. Originally a salvage and insurance write off only company they now sell cars that while at the cheap end of the scale are classed as clean and driveable.
Okay that should be enough information for you to get a cheap car from in South Africa. If you are planning on Importing a vehicle then you need to make sure you have the correct paperwork. You should consult the South African Revenue Service SARS and to make sure you have the correct Import Permit consult the South African Bureau of Control SABS
Further importing information can be obtained from the AA
Next we will look at East Africa.
