Features / 1 April 2025 / Michael Taylor

Best-selling car brands in South Africa

March proved to be an excellent month for new car sales in South Africa with a total of 49,493 units registered, marking a 12.5% improvement from the numbers achieved the year prior.

Toyota is still leading the pack with a commendable 11,660 units, though this is admittedly a small decline from the 11,743 models it sold in February.

Suzuki, meanwhile, continues to hold onto its hard-earned title as South Africa’s second-favourite car brand with 5,284 vehicles finding new owners, giving it a small but appreciable lead over Volkswagen in third place with 4,914 purchases.

Hyundai also had a sold month with 3,103 new customers, and Ford wasn’t far behind with 2,907 units, meaning there were no changes in the top five this March.

Isuzu was another notable performer, as it closed the gap with its bakkie rival Ford to end in sixth place with 2,759 buyers.

The remainder of the top 10 then saw a few shakeups, as Nissan made an impressive comeback from 10th all the way to seventh place with 2,303 showroom victories – marking a positive step for a company that has been facing an uphill battle in recent times.

Mahindra also moved up a spot from ninth to eighth place thanks to 2,253 buyers, proving yet again that the Indian carmaker is one of the country’s top up-and-coming badges.

Interestingly, the solid performance of Nissan and Mahindra means that GWM and Chery have dropped down to the ninth and 10th spots, respectively, though both still had a strong showing with 2,066 and 1,902 units sold, respectively.

Of the 49,493 cars sold in South Africa last month, 86.8% were thanks to dealer transactions while another 7.3% went to the rental industry. 3.5% were snapped up by the government, and corporate fleets accounted for the remaining 2.5%.

Passenger car sales clocked in at 33,447 units, representing an increase of 6,756 models (25.3%) from the same month last year.

Light commercial vehicles such as bakkies and minibuses, on the other hand, sold a combined 13,328 examples, indicating a decline of 1,227 (8.4%) from March 2024.

One area that saw major improvement last month was exports, as the sector reported a gain of 31.1% to reach 39,477 units.

“The rebound in export sales is a testament to the resilience of South Africa’s automotive sector,” said Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa.

“Despite ongoing global trade uncertainties, our industry remains steadfast, demonstrating its strength in navigating complex economic landscapes. Our export-led growth model continues to drive industrial expansion and job creation.”

Unfortunately, the recent news that the United States – one of South Africa’s biggest trading partners – will impose a 25% import tariff on vehicles could severely impact local automakers that produce cars for export going forward.