The cars that replaced South Africa’s small bakkies

Small and medium-sized business owners in South Africa once had a wide range of small, half-ton bakkies to add to their fleet of construction and delivery vehicles, but now have to make do with panel vans instead.

While Chevrolet Utility and Ford Bantam bakkies were once a common sight on our roads, they have both been discontinued, as was the last-remaining small bakkie – the Nissan NP200 – in April 2024.

This month marks two years without any new half-ton bakkies in South Africa, forcing buyers to look instead to panel van versions of entry-level crossovers and hatchbacks from brands like Nissan, Renault, Kia, and even VW.

This way, they are classified as light commercial vehicles, converted and modified to allow them to carry significantly more cargo than before.

While their sizes vary greatly, what they have in common is their layout, which involves removing their back seats, replacing them with a larger, flat-bottomed cargo hull.

Separating the cabin from the cargo is often either a steel mesh barrier behind the front seats, while the cargo in the rear bay is secured, thanks to reinforced windows that protect against theft.

Their differing sizes range from small city running delivery vehicles to larger, more complete panel vans.

For example, the Kia Picanto panel van features enough cargo space for 909 litres, or 350kg, while the all-new Renault Express can carry 1,500 litres of cargo weighing up to 542kg.

By comparison, the Nissan NP200 had a 1,250 litre rubberised load box, capable of carrying a very respectable 800kg.

While these panel vans may be growing in popularity in South Africa, they are nowhere near as popular as the NP200, which used to sell nearly 1,200 units every month.

Born out of necessity

Since Nissan decided to discontinue the NP200, South Africans looking for small commercial vehicles have had to look at more expensive, larger bakkies or turn to the ever-expanding list of panel vans.

Click on the underlined prices for more information about each option.

Nissan Magnite 1.0 Move Panel Van

• Starting price – R229,900
• Storage space – 690 litres
• Maximum payload – 250kg
• Power – 53kW/96Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.9l/100km

Citroën C3 1.2 Hola panel van

• Starting price – R242,500
• Storage space – N/A
• Maximum payload – 386kg
• Power – 60kW/115Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.5l/100km

Hyundai Grand i10 1.0 Premium Cargo Panel Van

• Starting price – R249,500
• Storage space – 1,210 litres
• Maximum payload – 508kg
• Power – 49kW/94Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.5l/100km

Kia Picanto 1.0 LS Panel Van

• Starting price – R249,995
• Storage space – 909 litres
• Maximum payload – 350kg
• Power – 49kW/95Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.1l/100km

Renault Triber 1.0 Express Panel Van

• Starting price – R249,999
• Storage space – 1,500 litres
• Maximum payload – 542kg
• Power – 52kW/96Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.5l/100km

VW Polo Vivo 1.4 Xpress Panel Van

• Starting price – R279,990
• Storage space – 952 litres
• Maximum payload – 490kg
• Power – 63kW/132Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.9l/100km

Kia Sonet 1.5 LS Runner Panel Van

• Starting price – R294,995
• Storage space – 1,296 litres
• Maximum payload – 350kg
• Power – 85kW/144Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.6l/100km

Mahindra XUV 3X0 1.2T MX1 Panel Van

• Starting price – R296,999
• Storage space – 364 litres
• Maximum payload – 323kg
• Power – 82kW/200Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.3l/100km

Hyundai Venue 1.2 Premium Cargo Panel Van

• Starting price – R321,500
• Storage space – 1,296 litres
• Maximum payload – 620kg
• Power – 61kW/115Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.5l/100km