@Mr.T the thing is that now that every former F-16 user is switching over to the infinitely more capable F-35 the market is flooded with used F-16s, some of which not even that old. Add to that an ocean of spare parts, people with technical know how and decades worth of experience having fixed most issues, it's just far more attractive than the still rather pricey Gripen E/F which has none of the above really. Just look at SA being not able to keep their Gripens flying, it's after all still a very expensive machine, it's in a sense a luxury item.
And in a market where on the NATO side of things the F-35 gets picked up by everyone who's allowed to get them, the use F-16s being thrown out at bargain prices and select few opting for advanced Eagles or the Dassault Rafale there isn't much space for the Gripen.
While many countries more on the neutral side of things gravite to mixed air forces of various origins or much cheaper alternatives like light combat aircraft or second hand fighters.
As it stands in the current environment the Gripen, as much as I love it and I truly do, isn't a convincing offer. Especially when it cannot edge out competitors on technical grounds and not even on political grounds anymore. It's unfortunate but that's how things played out
The Czechs have a lease for the older model. Hungary has a lease and buy, and by next year they'll fully own it.
The Gripen series as a whole, has generally been relatively successful for Saab/Sweden. It's achieved more exports than the Viggen (none), and the Draken. Both in terms of number of countries operating them and total numbers exported. I believe the total numbers built, its about the same as the Rafale.
However at the end of the day, most countries prioritize strategic interests when buying warplanes or other major weapon systems. Buying American, French, Chinese, Russian, or the UK, means you're also buying into their support system (whether its spares, or political support). For countries that have an active threat or high security concerns, building such connections are important. Hence why a country like Qatar went nuts buying American, French, and UK products around the time when its neighbors started ganging up on them.
Sweden in contrast, is a smaller country with less global influence, and until now, a neutral foreign policy. I think they punch above their weight in what they've accomplished in the defense sector, but at the end of the day, they're limited on what they can do, and end up having to rely on foreign suppliers for a number of things.
It doesn't mean the Gripen is a no-go for these countries, but that it is at a disadvantage to products from the P5.
For countries without a major threat, the Gripen has more appeal, especially if that country has a policy where it does not want to lean too heavily to any of the P5 members. These are countries like Thailand (which ended up with Gripens), Brazil, or Malaysia (not a Gripen user but fits the category as well as having a foreign policy where they lean west but also wants to keep some independence from them).
The thing is, many of these countries, don't really have a strong demand for fighter jets because they're generally at peace, so orders numbers are generally low (12-24).
Gripen E/F, has a high price tag, equal or higher than the F-35. But supposedly a low sustainment cost, which means the savings will be more noticeable over its lifetime. But that high unit price tag might also deter some countries, especially as there's a ton of much cheaper used F-16s. Spare parts are plenty and the F-16 will likely continue to be produced for a while, perhaps longer than the Gripen. Due to its widespread use and history, the F-16 does offer alternatives for potential users. For example, if a user doesn't have access to the latest AMRAAM missile, they can use European or Israeli missiles instead. Even the Turks are rapidly developing a wide variety of munitions for the F-16. I believe that was the case for Chile or another country, where the US initially refused to export the AMRAAM, so they went with Israeli weapons.
