Only about one in five South Africans owns a vehicle. Compare that, for example, with car-crazy New Zealand, which is home to roughly one car per human being.
But South Africa’s 12-million drivers do get a massive kick out of their motorised chariots—new sales figures suggest the love is still deep, especially compared to car-buying trends in South Africa in 2024.
Nearly 50,000 new cars and trucks purred out of showrooms in February 2025 —a 17% rise on last February’s total, suggesting consumer confidence in South Africa may be ticking up.
This guide breaks down the best-selling car brands and models in South Africa for 2025, revealing key trends, market shifts, and what drivers are choosing now.
More than 11,000 car sales in South Africa were of updated modern classics made by the big manufacturers—car models and vehicle types that have been around for 20 years or more. Three of these evergreen—the top-selling Toyota Hilux, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo and the Ford Ranger—all cracked the top 5 for units sold:
(*Complete sales chart and overall brand rankings at the bottom of this article.)
Clearly, South Africans don’t lack loyalty to four-wheeled legends. But what lies ahead? Will the fast-rising Chinese carmakers catch up to the legacy brands in South Africa? And when will EVs get a look in?
Read on for a peek into the car-buying mind of South Africa—what cars drivers are buying and why ...
A perennial contender in the top 5, the Toyota Hilux was the overall champion model in February, with 2,683 units sold.
The Hilux has a healthy lead over its two nearest rivals in the hotly contested bakkie market, the Ford Ranger, which came in at fourth place overall with 2168 sales, and the fifth-placed Isuzu D-Max at 1,924 units.
“Bakkie” is the South African word for the pickup truck—a machine whose practicality for local roads, landscapes and lifestyles makes it an ever-swelling category. In a sprawling country that is rich in both potholes and outdoor adventure, families and small businesses are increasingly switching from big SUVs to the cost-effectiveness and robustness of the twin-cab pickup
The Volkswagen Polo Vivo claims gold in the passenger vehicle sales race with 2,187 sales (and second place overall)—keeping its status as an affordable dream car for first-time buyers.
But snapping at the Polo’s heels was the Suzuki Swift, on 2,351 sales—the little samurai has led Suzuki’s dramatic overtaking of Volkswagen in the overall sales race. Suzuki is now SA’s second-biggest selling brand, behind Toyota.
The Chery group’s return to the South African market in 2022—bringing its Omoda, Jaecoo and Jetour sub-brands—has given consumers a new array of value-for-money Chinese-made SUVs and crossovers.
That means GWM’s explosive growth with its Haval models since 2019 has levelled off, and Chery is now seventh in the top brands' chart, ahead of GWM in eighth.
The overall Chinese total is still rising fast and will keep on doing so, given the rand’s retreat and SA’s hunger for affordable flashiness. The current market leaders still have an edge when it comes to brand loyalty and SA-made models—but all that can change.
It’s telling that no electric vehicles appear on the chart. SA’s EV market has been tiny to date—due to a lack of charging infrastructure, the price premium on EVs, and the absence of market leader Tesla.
But there are some modest signs of life. The plug-in market crossed the 1,000-unit barrier in 2024, and more affordable high-end EVs, such as the BYD Seal, have arrived. Meanwhile, big-selling hybrid cars like the Toyota Corolla Cross could give consumers a seductive taste of life after petrol.
SA’s road trip culture makes highway charging points tricky. While we are starting to see more charging stations popping up on our roads, coverage is still patchy, especially across long-distance routes.
Ultimately, mass adoption of EVs will depend on a simple sum—can an EV be cheaper (over a two- or three-year horizon) than a gas guzzler? Until that’s the case, budget-conscious South African drivers won’t be going electric en masse.
According to Stats SA, about 59% of South African households that own vehicles have only one.
Many two-parent families with multiple routines have two or three cars, often including a small urban runaround. In years to come, these are likely to become small EVs, as city charging points roll out.
When these families move between distant cities, that small second or third car needs to be moved—and it isn’t made for a long-haul drive. That’s when Wise Move's car transport comes in handy—your go-to moving booking website, allowing you to easily compare movers’ quotes to move a vehicle on a truck—either as part of a home move or separately.
Here are the latest monthly sales figures by model from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA). (as of February 2025):
Toyota Hilux – 2,683
Suzuki Swift – 2,351
Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 2,187
Ford Ranger – 2,168
Isuzu D–Max – 1,924
Toyota Corolla Cross – 1,435
Toyota Starlet – 1,279
Hyundai Grand i10 – 1,253
Chery Tiggo 4 Pro – 1,147
Suzuki Fronx – 1,123
Toyota Starlet Cross – 1,003
Haval Jolion – 982
Toyota Urban Cruiser – 875
Kia Sonet – 873
Volkswagen Polo – 832
Nissan Magnite – 808
Mahindra Scorpio Pik–Up – 763
Renault Kwid – 750
Mahindra XUV 3X0 – 657
Toyota Fortuner – 634
Toyota Hi–Ace – 634
Suzuki Ertiga – 627
Omoda C5 – 552
Toyota Vitz – 551
Toyota Land Cruiser PU – 534
Toyota Rumion – 482
Volkswagen T–Cross – 462
Hyundai Exter – 428
Nissan Navara – 412
Renault Kiger – 400
Chery Tiggo 7 Pro – 384
Toyota Prado – 375
Suzuki Baleno – 360
Volkswagen Polo Sedan – 346
Hyundai i20 – 317
Ford Territory – 304
Volkswagen Amarok – 290
Hyundai Venue – 284
Haval H6 – 274
Suzuki Jimny – 274
Suzuki Grand Vitara – 271
Suzuki S–Presso – 267
Ford Everest – 263
Volkswagen Tiguan – 258
Jetour Dashing – 252
Renault Triber – 247
Nissan Magnite Move – 247
GWM P–Series – 232
Suzuki Eeco – 231
Citroen C3 – 223
Here are NAAMSA’s totals (as of February 2025) for car units sold by brand:
Toyota – 11,743
Suzuki Auto – 6,044
Volkswagen – 5,249
Hyundai Automotive – 3,074
Ford Motor Company – 2,900
Isuzu Motors SA – 2,298
Chery Auto SA – 1,924
GWM SA – 1,713
Mahindra – 1,610
Nissan – 1,497
Kia – 1,491
Renault – 1,466
BMW Group – 1,256
Omoda and Jaecoo – 772
Stellantis – 501
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