The SA Vehicle Industry Thread

Toyota SA Records Highest New Vehicle Sales for 2025

Toyota SA, the best-selling car brand in our market, recorded its highest year-to-date sales for new vehicles in August 2025.

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has recorded its highest sales performance this year so far. According to naamsa, TSAM secured an overall industry market share of 25.6% in the eighth month of 2025.

In total, the local arm of the Japanese automaker sold 12 919 units in August 2025, with 10 387 sales attributed to its dealership network, while fleet, rental, and government sales were responsible for 2 433, 2 003 and 302 units, respectively.

Toyota once again dominated the passenger-car segment, selling a combined number of 8 401 units in August. The Corolla Cross led the charge, with 2 743 units sold. Accompanying the Corolla Cross on the list of SA’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars, the Starlet and Vitz recorded 1 322 and 885 units sold last month, respectively, while 772 units of the Rumion were sold. The new Land Cruiser Prado recorded a sales figure of 446 units.

The firm’s Lexus luxury brand documented 84 passenger-vehicle sales in August, with the GX again proving the most popular. In August 2025, 28 new units of the Land Cruiser Prado-based SUV found homes.

On the light commercial vehicle (LCV) front, the Hilux was once again topped the list of SA’s best-selling bakkies in August 2025, with the 3 325 new Hilux units sold earning the locally-built bakkie a market share of 28.4%. Hiace and Quantum sales increased to 577 and 65 units, respectively.

www.carmag.co.za

Toyota SA Records Highest New Vehicle Sales for 2025

Toyota SA, the best-selling car brand in our market, recorded its highest year-to-date sales for new vehicles in August 2025...
www.carmag.co.za www.carmag.co.za
 
4 Chinese brands hit record sales in SA in August 2025

In August 2025, a quartet of Chinese brands posted record sales in South Africa. Here’s a look at their respective sales performances last month…

- At least 4 Chinese brands hit fresh sales highs
- GWM SA came close to breaking its sales record
- MG Motor’s performance also warrants mention

The growth of Chinese automakers in South Africa continues unabated, with at least 4 brands from the East Asian nation posting record sales in Mzansi in August 2025. Yes, we’ve sorted through the sales figures and found a quartet of Chinese companies hitting fresh highs.

While GWM’s tally of 2 519 units in August was its best showing of 2025 thus far, our records show the Baoding-based automaker sold 2 602 units back in October 2022, when it was known as Haval Motors SA. So, GWM was a mere 84 units away from a new record last month.

On the other hand, chief rival Chery registered a record 2 228 units in Mzansi in August, beating its previous high of 2 160 units achieved in the prior month (and marking the 3rd time this year the brand has breached the 2 000-unit barrier).

Last month, the Tiggo 4 Pro was Chery’s top seller, attracting 1 339 sales (or 60.1% of the company’s overall total), while the Tiggo Cross added 229 units. It’s worth noting all Chery registrations in August came via the dealer channel, meaning its figures weren’t inflated by sales to rental-fleet buyers or to the government.

Meanwhile, Omoda & Jaecoo – which describes itself as an “independent” division of the broader Chery Group – likewise registered its highest single-month total yet, reaching 1 202 units in August. That eclipsed its previous record of 1 069 units, which was also achieved in July 2025.

With 538 units, the Omoda C5 was the top seller from this stable, while the C5 X added 273 units. The Jaecoo J7 came to the party with 223 sales, while 103 units of the yet-to-launch Jaecoo J5 were (somewhat curiously) also reported. Finally, the Omoda C9 added 65 sales.

 
SA’s Top 5 Vehicle Exporters – August 2025

We have rounded up the top 5 vehicle exporters in South Africa in August 2025. Find the list below.

South Africa produces a variety of vehicles, including the best-selling Toyota Hilux and Corolla Cross, Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo, and BMW X3. The country’s largest automotive manufacturing facilities, such as Toyota’s Prospecton plant, Mercedes-Benz’s East London plant, and Ford’s Silverton assembly plant, churn out substantial numbers of vehicles each year. While many are sold locally, a significant portion is exported. Last month alone, 37 500 units left the country for international markets (as opposed to the 35 379 units exported last month), including Germany, the United Kingdom and other African countries.

SA’s Top 5 Vehicle Exporters in August 2025

Volkswagen Group – 12 650 units (up 145)
Ford Motor Company – 9 413 units (up 2 155)
BMW Group – 5 200 units (down 1 100)
Toyota – 4 770 units (up 506)
Mercedes-Benz SA – 3 950 units (up 850)

www.carmag.co.za

SA’s Top 5 Vehicle Exporters - August 2025

We have rounded up the top five vehicle exporters in South Africa in August 2025. Here's the breakdown...
www.carmag.co.za www.carmag.co.za
 
SA-Built VW Polo to Remain in Production Into the Next Decade

VW has confirmed to CAR Magazine that the South African-built Polo will remain in production into the next decade.

Volkswagen made full use of IAA Mobility 2025, which took place in Munich from 9 to 14 September, to showcase an array of upcoming products, including the ID. Polo, which has been announced for 2026, ID. Polo GTI and ID. Cross Concept – the latter previewing the T-Cross’ future all-electric successor.

However, while VW gears up for the battery-electric hatchbacks and compact crossover, the German marque has confirmed to CAR Magazine that the petrol-powered Polo will remain in production at the company’s South African plant until “at least” 2033.

Confirmed by Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkwagen Passenger cars, “While they still play Boney M at Christmas in South Africa, this market will have Polo.”

As a reminder, since 2024, the Polo has been exclusively produced in South Africa at the Wolfsburg automaker’s Kariega manufacturing facility in Gqeberha, and exported to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2025, Volkswagen Group Africa celebrated a strong year of Polo production, with record number of 167 084 Polo units built.

www.carmag.co.za

SA-Built VW Polo to Remain in Production Into the Next Decade

VW has confirmed to CAR Magazine that the South African-built Polo will remain in production into the next decade...
www.carmag.co.za www.carmag.co.za
 
The proud heritage of SA's motor industry and its evolution into a major exporter

When it comes to South African exports, one usually thinks of fine wines as well as shiny minerals such as gold and diamonds. But what many don’t realise is that South Africa is a major exporter of vehicles.

It wasn’t always this way. During the dark days of apartheid, South Africa’s motor manufacturing industry adopted a protectionist mindset, and the industry focused on producing a large number of models at relatively low volumes.

Our country has been producing cars since the 1920s, with Ford having opened up its Port Elizabeth (now Qgeberha) factory in 1924, while General Motors followed suit in 1926.

Many came and departed, and by the time our market opened up to the rest of the world at the dawn of democracy in 1994, South Africa had seven manufacturers.

The winds of change were sweeping through the industry, and the introduction of the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) in 1995 brought lower import tariffs as well as strong financial incentives for exporting products.

In order to survive, manufacturers had to change their game plans, and this saw a scramble to secure export contracts. It certainly helped that the country now had access to major international markets through South Africa’s Free Trade Agreement with the European Union and the USA’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). The latter has unfortunately been cancelled out by Donald Trump’s automotive tariffs introduced this year.

Nonetheless, today South Africa is a major exporter of automotive products, and the industry saw a record volume of 396,000 exports in 2023. While this number dipped to 308,380 in 2024, export sales year-to-date are up by 3% in 2025.


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Meanwhile, back over in India - where they've just dramatically REDUCED the GST levied on new car sales... ;)

Maruti Suzuki slashes prices of its models by up to Rs 1.30 lakh - Team-BHP​


Maruti Suzuki has slashed the prices of its models by up to Rs 1.30 lakh. This includes the benefits of the recent GST rate cut and festive discounts.

The revised prices will be applicable from September 22. Maruti says the discounts will remain valid until December 31, 2025.

Entry-level models like the S-Presso and Alto K10 get the highest benefits of Rs 1,29,600 and Rs 1,07,600, respectively.

The Celerio gets benefits of up to Rs 94,100, while the prices of the WagonR and Ignis have been reduced by up to Rs 79,600 and Rs 71,300, respectively.

The Swift and Baleno have gotten cheaper by up to Rs 86,100, while the prices of the Fronx will be slashed by up to Rs 1,12,600. The Tour S and Dzire see a price cut of Rs 67,200 and Rs 87,700, respectively.

The Maruti Brezza and Grand Vitara get a price reduction of up to Rs 1,12,700 and Rs 1,07,000, respectively, while the Jimny sees a price cut of up to Rs 51,900.

Prices of the Ertiga and XL6 have dropped by up to Rs 52,000, and the Invicto will cost Rs 61,700 less.

Revised price list:​

SUB-COMPACT HATCHBACK
  • S-Presso – Rs 3,49,900 (ZAR 69,980)
  • Alto K10 – Rs 3,69,900 (ZAR 73,980)
  • Celerio – Rs 4,69,900 (ZAR 93,980)
COMPACT HATCHBACK
  • WagonR – Rs 4,98,900 (ZAR 99,780)
  • Ignis – Rs 5,35,100 (ZAR 107,020)
  • Swift – Rs 5,78,900 (ZAR 115,780)
  • Baleno – Rs 5,98,900 (ZAR 119,780)
COMPACT SEDAN
  • Tour S – Rs 6,23,800 (ZAR 124,760)
  • Dzire – Rs 6,25,600 (ZAR 125,120)
CROSS-OVER
  • Fronx – Rs 6,84,900 (ZAR 136,980)
  • Brezza – Rs 8,25,900 (ZAR 165,180)
  • Grand Vitara – Rs 10,76,500 (ZAR 215,300)
4x4
  • Jimny – Rs 12,31,500 (ZAR 246,300)
MPV
  • Ertiga – Rs 8,80,000 (ZAR 176,000)
  • XL6 – Rs 11,52,300 (ZAR 230,460)
SUV
  • Invicto – Rs 24,97,400 (ZAR 499,480)
COMMERCIAL
  • Eeco – Rs 5,18,100 (ZAR 103,620)
  • Super Carry – Rs 5,06,100 (ZAR 101,220)

BTW - here is the current INR-ZAR exchange rate as at 15h14 SA Time today... 1 INR = 0.20 ZAR / 1 ZAR = 5 INR
 
Many SA car buyers now prefer double cabs to German sedans

According to the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025, the double-cab bakkie has arguably replaced the German premium sedan as the most desired (4-wheeled) status symbol for local automotive consumers shopping in the R500 000-to-R1 million bracket.
Drawing on Cars.co.za’s proprietary market data and new-vehicle sales figures, the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025 highlights that most South African car buyers now consider modern double cabs (such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Isuzu D-Max) as the luxury-vehicle status symbols they prefer most.

“Our data shows a dramatic shift away from German sedans, such as the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which dominated the South African luxury vehicle market less than a decade ago, in favour of flagship bakkies,” says Alan Quinn, Executive: Product and Partnerships at Cars.co.za.

The Decline of Legacy Luxury Sedans

The shift is starkly evident in sales and demand data. Vehicles previously considered the benchmark for reasonably attainable premium desirability – including the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and their respective variants – have seen their dominance severely curtailed.

- Disappearance from New Sales Charts: Pricier legacy luxury sedans like the 3 Series and C-Class have nearly disappeared from the top of the new-vehicle sales charts.

- Shrinking Lead Share: In the used market, demand for these sedans, and sedans in general, is declining. The lead share of vehicles like the 3 Series and C-Class has fallen. In 2020 (just five years ago), the 3 Series and C-Class achieved 3.9% and 3.4% of all leads (enquiries) respectively on Cars.co.za. During the first half of 2025, those percentages had shrunk to 2.4% and 2.9%; demand for the A4 declined even further.

- Overall Segment Contraction: The overall sedan segment’s lead share on Cars.co.za has shrunk significantly over the past decade, declining from 21.5% in 2015 to 14.33% in the first half of 2025.

 
How BMW's Next-Gen iFactory will transform South Africa's Rosslyn plant

When BMW unveiled its brand-new iFactory in Debrecen, Hungary, much of the global attention focused on the European milestone, a ground-up site designed to build the Neue Klasse, BMW’s next generation of vehicles.

But for South Africa, it’s important too. BMW’s Rosslyn plant, just north of Pretoria, has been a cornerstone of the country’s automotive sector since 1973, and the Debrecen principles could soon trickle through to Rosslyn.

South Africa’s role in BMW’s worldwide production network is long established. The plant was the first BMW facility outside Germany, and today it produces the X3 for export to more than 40 markets.

Dr Milan Nedeljković, BMW production board member, stressed that Rosslyn’s future remains central to BMW’s global ambitions.

“Rosslyn is currently a 15-unit plant producing around 75 000 to 80 000 vehicles annually. Debrecen, by contrast, launches at 30 units, producing close to 150 000 cars.

"But the important thing is that each plant is part of one system. What we validate in Debrecen sets the template for the whole network, including South Africa.”


 
South African new vehicle sales surge to 10-year high: these were the top 15 brands in September

South Africa’s new vehicle sales surge continued in September 2025, with a lofty volume of 54,700 units recorded by Naamsa.

Not only is this 24.3% higher than the same month last year, but it’s also the highest monthly figure recorded since September 2015.

Passenger vehicle sales rose by 28.0% year-on-year to 38,603 units, the segment’s highest volume since October 2014. Buoyant rental sales played a key role here, accounting for 20.1% of the passenger car volume. Light commercial vehicles, including bakkies, gained 19.7% versus September 2024. However, medium commercial vehicles were down by 1.9%, while the heavies saw their volume increase by 5.9%.

80.1% of new vehicle sales took place through the dealer channels in September, Naamsa said, followed by rental sales (15.2%), corporate fleets (2.7%) and government sales (2.0%).

Vehicle export volumes shot up by 32.9% to a total of 29,180 units in September, bringing the year-to-date export tally 6.0% ahead of the same period in 2024, despite Trump’s tariff imposition. You can thank those Polos from Kariega.

WesBank’s marketing head Lebo Gaoaketse said a more favourable economic outlook should continue to support increased new vehicle sales going forward, with stable fuel prices, a stronger currency and lower interest rates all contributing to consumer and business confidence.

However, household budgets remain strained and affordability remains the key consideration in purchase decisions.

“Levels of demand are unprecedented with September having the highest volumes of applications for finance,” Gaoaketse said.

15 Top Manufacturers: September 2025

Toyota - 14,146
Suzuki Auto - 6,072
Volkswagen - 5,763
Ford - 3,093
Hyundai - 3,005
GWM - 2,620
Isuzu - 2,478
Chery - 2,264
Kia - 1,706
Mahindra - 1,524
Renault - 1,376
Nissan - 1,362
BMW Group - 1,220
Omoda & Jaecoo - 1,201
Stellantis - 848

 
FiestaST said:
South African new vehicle sales surge to 10-year high: these were the top 15 brands in September

South Africa’s new vehicle sales surge continued in September 2025, with a lofty volume of 54,700 units recorded by Naamsa.

Not only is this 24.3% higher than the same month last year, but it’s also the highest monthly figure recorded since September 2015.

Passenger vehicle sales rose by 28.0% year-on-year to 38,603 units, the segment’s highest volume since October 2014. Buoyant rental sales played a key role here, accounting for 20.1% of the passenger car volume. Light commercial vehicles, including bakkies, gained 19.7% versus September 2024. However, medium commercial vehicles were down by 1.9%, while the heavies saw their volume increase by 5.9%.

80.1% of new vehicle sales took place through the dealer channels in September, Naamsa said, followed by rental sales (15.2%), corporate fleets (2.7%) and government sales (2.0%).

Vehicle export volumes shot up by 32.9% to a total of 29,180 units in September, bringing the year-to-date export tally 6.0% ahead of the same period in 2024, despite Trump’s tariff imposition. You can thank those Polos from Kariega.

WesBank’s marketing head Lebo Gaoaketse said a more favourable economic outlook should continue to support increased new vehicle sales going forward, with stable fuel prices, a stronger currency and lower interest rates all contributing to consumer and business confidence.

However, household budgets remain strained and affordability remains the key consideration in purchase decisions.

“Levels of demand are unprecedented with September having the highest volumes of applications for finance,” Gaoaketse said.

15 Top Manufacturers: September 2025

Toyota - 14,146
Suzuki Auto - 6,072
Volkswagen - 5,763
Ford - 3,093
Hyundai - 3,005
GWM - 2,620
Isuzu - 2,478
Chery - 2,264
Kia - 1,706
Mahindra - 1,524
Renault - 1,376
Nissan - 1,362
BMW Group - 1,220
Omoda & Jaecoo - 1,201
Stellantis - 848

Click to expand...

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