Authorities recorded 11,583 first time registrations of vehicles in the first quarter of the year, about ten percent higher than the same period last year, with Toyota leading the field.
Figures released by Statistics Botswana last week, confirm a trend analysis showing that higher numbers of vehicles, mostly used, are being purchased and registered in the country.
While the first time registrations dipped between the fourth quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year, the quarterly figures in 2024 and 2025 are all progressively higher than previous two years. Statistics Botswana figures show that while the first three months of this year recorded 11,583 first time vehicle registrations, the same period in 2023 had 7,322 while the corresponding period in 2022 recorded 7,974.
The numbers suggest the vehicle purchases in the country remain resilient despite the broader slowdown in the economy, which contracted by three percent last year. In terms of popularity, Toyota maintained its lead as the preferred brand in the first quarter, after playing second fiddle to Mazda in the third quarter of last year.
