These cars are taking over from bakkies in South Africa

Passenger vehicle manufacturers and exporters have had to pick up the slack this year due to the massive drop-off in bakkie exports.

The automotive manufacturing sector is one of the most important industries in South Africa, sustaining 115,000 direct jobs and more than 500,000 jobs across the automotive value chain.

Overall, the industry accounts for just more than 5% of South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP), with vehicles built locally reaching 155 export destinations.

For years, locally manufactured bakkies have been a major contributor to this success, but these slowed in 2026, forcing passenger car makers to make up for the losses.

Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) export data shows year-to-date bakkie exports dropped to 69,880 units through August 2026, down from 98,416 units over the same period in 2025.

This represents a 29.0% slump, creating a massive physical deficit of 28,536 fewer bakkies shipped abroad, with key manufacturers facing massive obstacles when exporting their vehicles.

In sharp contrast to bakkie exports, South Africa’s passenger car export pipeline has remained resilient, recording a 2% year-to-date growth compared to the same period last year.

Year-to-date passenger car exports expanded to 178,186 units through August 2026, up from 174,775 units in year-to-date August 2025, a physical addition of 3,411 passenger cars.

The resulting headline figures show an overall national export decline of 8.8% year-to-date, with the physical deficit in bakkie exports amounting to more than 8 times the total gain in passenger car exports.

While the increase in passenger vehicle exports doesn’t make up for the loss of bakkie exports, without them, South Africa’s automotive sector would have been in much bigger trouble.

Consequently, the light commercial vehicle sector is single-handedly responsible for dragging South Africa’s overall vehicle export line into negative territory.

While export figures have been a mixed bag, both segments are thriving in local showrooms. Year-to-date passenger car sales are up 13.5%, while local bakkie sales are up 10.2%

South Africa’s auto sector could use a hand

South Africa’s automotive components manufacturing sector is under severe pressure, facing factory closures and job losses as local production struggles to keep up with cheap Chinese and Indian imports.

In a webinar, the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) said 7,500 jobs had been lost across the autoparts industry in the last three years, and sector employment had fallen to 79,800.

NAACAM added that an estimated 15 businesses across the sector had also closed their doors over the same period.

The association’s COO, Nduduzo Chala, said they noticed the drop in sector employment and narrowed down the cause to challenges within the industry.

These include rising production costs, energy and logistics challenges, global competition, skills shortages, and the country’s transition towards New Energy Vehicles (NEVs).

According to Chala, 63% of NAACAM members were considering job cuts over the next 12 months, or had already done so in the last two years.

To rectify this trend, President Cyril Ramaphosa called for increased investment in the local automotive manufacturing sector during an address at VW’s 75th anniversary celebrations.

“In an intensely competitive environment, South Africa must continue to demonstrate that we have the capabilities, the skills and the policy environment required to attract these investments,” he said.

Ramaphosa added that while the automotive industry transitions towards electrified vehicles, the country can take advantage of the new opportunities since its manufacturing base is already in place.

“We are determined to ensure that South Africa remains an important global manufacturing base for the vehicles of the future,” he said.

“Government is working to ensure that there is a stable, predictable and supportive policy environment in which automotive companies can invest, localise and grow.”