Motoring13.12.2023

How much it costs to import the Tesla Cybertruck to South Africa

Tesla officially started fulfilling Cybertruck orders in December 2023 and although the electric pickup truck’s pricing starts at $60,990 (R1.16 million) in the US, it would cost nearly R2 million to import it to South Africa.

MyBroadband compared the cost of importing the Tesla truck to the cost of importing three other electric bakkies on sale in the US — the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, and GMC Hummer EV2.

Of these electric pickups, the entry-level Cybertruck is the third-most affordable. The Chevrolet Silverado EV starts at $39,900 (R758,790), the Ford F-150 Lightning at $59,974 (R1,140,544), and the GMC Hummer EV2 at $79,995 (R1,521,289).

However, it should be noted that the converted prices exclude South Africa’s various sales, EV, and luxury taxes, which are as follows:

  • 15% VAT: calculated on the car’s retail value + 10%
  • 25% EV import tax: calculated on the car’s retail value
  • Ad valorem tax: essentially a luxury excise tax that varies on the product’s retail value

The ad valorem tax is slightly more complex, but the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers in South Africa provides a formula for calculating it, quoted below.

% = [(0.00003 * retail value less 20%) – 0.75]

Tesla Cybertruck example:

% = [(0.00003 * R927,892.10) – 0.75]

% = 27.09

Using the formula for the other electric trucks puts the ad valorem tax percentage at 17.46% for the Silverado EV, 26.62% for the Ford F-150 Lightning, and 35.78% for the Hummer EV2.

However, South Africa caps the ad valorem percentage at 30%.

A breakdown of the taxes added to the price of each of the four electric bakkies when importing is provided in the table below.

EV import tax breakdown
Price breakdown Chevrolet Silverado EV Ford F-150 Lightning Tesla Cybertruck GMC Hummer EV2
US price $39,900.00 $59,974.00 $60,990.00 $79,995.00
Price in Rands R758,790.27 R1,140,543.55 R1,159,865.13 R1,521,288.91
Vat on retail value +10% R125,200.39 R188,189.69 R191,377.75 R251,012.67
25% EV import tax R189,697.57 R285,135.89 R289,966.28 R380,322.23
Ad valorem tax R132,484.78 (17.46%) R303,612.69 (26.62%) R314,208.36 (27.09%) R456,386.67 (30%)
Total tax R447,382.74 R776,938.27 R795,551.49 R1,087,721.57
Total price R1,206,173.01 R1,917,481.82 R1,955,416.62 R2,609,010.48

As one can see, South Africa’s various sales and import duties for EVs push the prices of these bakkies up significantly.

For example, the cheapest option — Chevrolet’s Silverado EV — will cost approximately 59% more once it lands in South Africa at R1,206,173.

Meanwhile, the Ford F-150 Lightning and Tesla Cybertruck will cost approximately 68% more, while those who import the GMC Hummer EV2 will pay about 72% more.

According to A1 Auto Transport, car shipping costs to South Africa from the US start at $3,300 (R62,790) for smaller cars and go up to $7,000 (R133,185) for larger vehicles.

Therefore, South Africans can expect to add shipping costs of up to R131,170 to the price after tax.

The four electric bakkies’ specs and prices are listed below.


Chevrolet Silverado EV

  • Power/torque: 380kW/ 833Nm
  • 0–100km/h: under 4.5 seconds
  • Range: 640km
  • Price (converted from dollar, excluding sales taxes): R758,790
  • Price after import (excl. shipping): R1,206,173


Ford F-150 Lightning

  • Power/torque: 337kW/1,050Nm
  • 0–100km/h: 4.2 seconds
  • Range: 370km
  • Price (converted from dollar, excluding sales taxes): R1,140,544
  • Price after import (excl. shipping): R1,917,482


Tesla Cybertruck Rear-wheel drive

  • Power/torque: 235kW/torque not specified
  • 0–100km/h: 6.5 seconds
  • Range: 402km
  • Price (converted from dollar, excluding sales taxes): R1,159,865
  • Price after import (excl. shipping): R1,955,417


GMC Hummer EV2 Pickup

  • Power: 466kW
  • 0–100km/h: Not specified
  • Range: 400km
  • Price (converted from dollar, excluding sales taxes): R1,521,289
  • Price after import (excl. shipping): R2,609,010


Now read: Honda launches more powerful Fit hybrid in South Africa — Pricing and new features

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