Ha! South Africa Has So Many White Cars. Why?

One of the things that hit me when I first arrived in South Africa was the road infrastructure -even if the indigenous think it has deteriorated-. I lookout for the transport system of any country that I visit because mobility tells on the level of development. However, the wide roads with multiple lanes outlets and inlets to highways was something I expected of one of the BRICS countries. What surprised me was the number of cars that had a white colour. Strange, isn’t it?

It is not something that hit me in any part of Europe, Asia, or African country that I have visited. The closest curiosity I have had about cars was about the size on my first trip to Europe. They were so small and not many in variety compared to what I was used to seeing in Ghana. There were no big Toyota Landcruisers or similar SUVs and pick-up trucks and the type I was familiar with, but I got my explanation.
Pardon my digression. Now back to South Africa and white cars. Why are the streets of South Africa filled with white vehicles? Is it legally mandatory or some logic that has eluded the rest of the world?

My Investigation

My queries began with Uber drivers -my go-to people for first impressions of any country. Then I asked anyone with whom I got acquainted. I was going to start visiting dealerships and second-hand car sales yards, but then I got my answer from ‘Mr Google’. I am not the only one ‘concerned’ about the issue. So here are the possible reasons from all sources combined but mainly from buycentre.co.za. I learnt that globally white cars are the most sold cars, but in South Africa, white sells more than all other car colours combined. These are the reasons why white cars are popular in South Africa

1.  White is visible even in the dark, so the insurance companies look favourably on white vehicles in terms of premiums.
2.  White and light coloured cars reflect light. Hence they fare better in the heat than dark coloured cars. They reflect 60% of sunlight compared to dark coloured cars.
3. Darker cars show 2% higher fuel consumption due to the need for greater use of air conditioning.
4. Other telling reasons that I came across from all4women.co.za were very reasonable apart from the climate factor are:
5. White cars have higher trade-in values because touch-ups for bangs and dents are more effortless, and reconditioning is cheaper. Some manufacturers charge more for metallic colours.
6. Second-hand cars from Car Rentals: South Africa is a popular travel destination, and rental car companies generally buy white vehicles with a higher trade-in value. The turnover of rental cars is astounding, as car rental companies never keep the vehicles for more than 2 or 3 years.

These reasons seem all reasonable, especially the one about heat and colours. I had always known this. It’s basic science. I drove a black car in Ghana, and I can testify about the disadvantages of having a black car in the tropical heat with high humidity. Sometimes the air conditioner gives up. I have been a victim of phone theft due to excessive heat that made me roll down my window in a crowded street. But that’s another story for another day.

There may be another reason why despite the logic and science that back the preference for white cars in the tropics, many of us in developing countries do not consciously make that economic decision

Unlike South Africa, many countries in Africa import second-hand cars from the USA or Europe or Asia. In Ghana, they are ironically or deceptively called home-used cars. Buying imported second-hand cars does not give you much choice of options to select colour unless you are buying directly from those countries through auctions and other means. In South Africa, the story is different. South Africa has car assembly plants and dealerships from almost all the major car manufacturers. That’s not the most significant win because other African countries have such plants these days. Hence my second point.

 In South Africa’s case, the winner is the availability of car financing, which makes it possible for one to purchase brand new cars or trade-ins at reasonable interest rates.

In summary, the presence of car assembling plants and dealerships backed by adequate and appropriate financing and purchasing power gives South Africans the ability to make wise economic choices of all sorts that fit their climatic conditions.