9 new bakkies you can buy for under R500,000 in South Africa

There are nine double-cab bakkies in South Africa that you can buy for less than half a million rand.

While South Africans are well-known for their love of the practical body type, bakkie prices have shot up in recent years.

Most notably, the country’s “big three” pickups – the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Isuzu D-Max – all cost over R500,000 now, at least if you want a five-seater option.

Single cabs still exist, of course, but these are mainly used by commercial fleet operators and small business owners.

Consequently, they often lack a lot of features that motorists have come to expect from modern vehicles.

If you are looking for an everyday bakkie, the cheapest option is the JAC T8, setting the price floor at R349,900.

As is the case with almost every segment in South Africa these days, Chinese brands dominate in terms of affordability, accounting for six of the nine models on the list.

One exception is the Mahindra Pik Up, an Indian model that is assembled from semi-knockdown kits in Durban, which starts at R413,849.

Another non-Chinese option is the Peugeot Landtrek, though this is only half-true, as it shares a platform and engine with the Changan Hunter, since the two models were co-developed by their respective manufacturers.

The only other non-Chinese name is the Nissan Navara, which is the most expensive of the group at R493,600.

The Navara is locally produced at Nissan’s factory in Gauteng, but this will soon change, as Chery is set to takeover the plant later this year.

Another local option to highlight is the Foton Tunland G7, which recently entered production at BAIC’s factory in the Eastern Cape.

Affordable lifestyle bakkies

These are all of the double-cab bakkies that you can buy in South Africa for less than R500,000.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

JAC T8

• Starting price – R349,900
• Power – 104kW/320Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.8l/100km
• Towing capacity – 2,000kg
• Load capacity – 900kg

Foton Tunland G7

• Starting price – R399,900
• Power – 120kW/390Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.2l/100km
• Towing capacity – 3,000kg
• Load capacity – 1,000kg

Mahindra Pik Up

• Starting price – R413,849
• Power – 103kW/320Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.7l/100km
• Towing capacity – 2,500kg
• Load capacity – 1,095kg

JMC Vigus Pro

• Starting price – R439,900
• Power – 104kW/350Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.7l/100km
• Towing capacity – 2,000kg
• Load capacity – 1,000kg

GWM P300

• Starting price – R446,950
• Power – 120kW/400Nm
• Fuel consumption – 9.0l/100km
• Towing capacity – 2,250kg
• Load capacity – 1,050kg

Changan Hunter

• Starting price – R449,900
• Power – 110kW/350Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.8l/100km
• Towing capacity – 2,000kg
• Load capacity – 1,100kg

Peugeot Landtrek

• Starting price – R463,900
• Power – 110kW/350Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.8l/100km
• Towing capacity – 2,000kg
• Load capacity – 1,100kg

LDV T60

• Starting price – R480,000
• Power – 120kW/375Nm
• Fuel consumption – 8.5l/100km
• Towing capacity – 2,500kg
• Load capacity – 935kg

Nissan Navara

• Starting price – R493,600
• Power – 120kW/403Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.2l/100km
• Towing capacity – 3,500kg
• Load capacity – 1,064kg