The first quarter of the year saw a significant drop in new motor vehicle registrations, according to the latest figures from Statistics Botswana. A total of 10,534 motor vehicles were registered for the first time, marking an 8.7% decline from the 11,540 registrations in the fourth quarter of 2023. Passenger cars made up the majority of new registrations, accounting for 72.9% of the total, while vans constituted 12.1%. Acting Statistician General Ketso Makhumalo highlighted that, aside from vans and buses, all vehicle body types saw a decrease in numbers compared to Q4 2023. Vans experienced a notable increase of 30.5%, and bus registrations rose by 6.0%. Motorcycles were the least registered vehicle type, comprising just 0.3% of the total. Japanese Vehicles Lead the Market Japanese vehicles continued to dominate the local market, representing 65.1% of the total registered vehicles, with an overwhelming 99.7% of these being used vehicles. In contrast, vehicles from the United Kingdom made up a mere 0.5% of the total, the lowest percentage among all countries. Used vehicles constituted 75.9% of the total registrations, while brand-new vehicles accounted for 24.0%. Rebuilt vehicles made up a minor 0.1%. “Most of the used vehicles originated from Japan, at 85.6%, while the majority of brand-new vehicles were sourced from South Africa, at 84.8%. Additionally, 55.6% of rebuilt vehicles came from Botswana,” Makhumalo reported. Toyota Leads in Popularity Toyota maintained its position as the most popular make, comprising 24.2% of all vehicles registered for the first time. Of these, 55.3% were passenger cars. Mazda followed with an 18.5% share, and a striking 98.3% of Mazda registrations were passenger cars. Makhumalo also noted that homemade vehicles represented 2.2% of the total registrations. As the automotive market adapts to changing economic conditions and consumer preferences, Japanese brands remain a dominant force, particularly in the used vehicle segment. The data reflects ongoing trends and provides insights into the dynamics of the motor industry in Botswana.