Toyota was the best-selling carmaker in South Africa in August 2026, with more than double the sales of other leading brands.
The Japanese company sold a grand total of 13,814 units last month, averaging around 445 cars per day. It currently holds a 23.9% share of the local market.
The single largest contributor to this total was the Hilux bakkie, which moved 3,881 units, making it the most popular vehicle in the country.
For reference, the second-best-selling model was the VW Polo Vivo with 2,379 units, meaning the Hilux sold 63% more than the nation’s favourite passenger car.
While the Hilux has an enormous sales lead, Toyota’s other cars were also very popular last month.
The Toyota Corolla Cross proved to be its best-performing passenger car with 1,489 sales, making it the seventh best-selling vehicle overall in August.
Interestingly, Toyota’s two most popular models, the Hilux and the Corolla Cross, are both built at the company’s Prospecton plant in Durban.
This is a huge advantage because a local factory means consumers are less worried about finding replacement parts, which can help to seal a purchase.
In contrast, the brand’s other top-selling cars are all imported from different markets. The Starlet and Starlet Cross, for example, sold 1,359 and 1,015 units last month, respectively.
The two cars are badge-engineered versions of the Suzuki Baleno and Fronx, which are made in India and are among the more affordable options Toyota sells in South Africa.
The same is true of the Urban Cruiser, which moved 871 units, and the Vitz – the automaker’s cheapest car – which also sold 871 units.
After this came the brand’s iconic Land Cruiser stable, which collectively sold over 1,000 units. The clear favourite was the LC 79 bakkie, which had 434 customers.
The recently introduced LC FJ was also fairly popular with 255 sales, after which came the flagship LC 300 and the fan favourite Prado, both of which sold 241 examples.
Last but not least is the LC 76 Station Wagon, which added 33 units to the brand’s total.
Toyota also revealed that Lexus sold 105 units in August, led by the NX with 37 units, the GX with 29, and the LX with 27.
South Africa’s favourite car brand
Below is a breakdown of the brand’s best-performing cars in August 2026, as provided by Toyota:
- Toyota Hilux – 3,881 units
- Toyota Corolla Cross – 1,489 units
- Toyota Starlet – 1,359 units
- Toyota Starlet Cross – 1,015 units
- Toyota Urban Cruiser – 871 units
- Toyota Vitz – 871 units
- Toyota Land Cruiser 79 – 434 units
- Toyota Land Cruiser FJ – 255 units
- Toyota Land Cruiser 300 – 241 units
- Toyota Prado – 241 units
- Toyota Land Cruiser 76 – 33 units
- Lexus NX – 37 units
- Lexus GX – 29 units
- Lexus LX – 27 units
Notably, the carmaker did not disclose the sales for the Fortuner, RAV4, Corolla hatch and sedan, Quantum, Rumion, and bZ4X (Toyota’s first electric car).
It also did not provide a sales breakdown for its Gazoo Racing performance models, including the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and GR86.
Toyota attributed its success to a diverse lineup of vehicles that allows it to compete in every major segment in South Africa.
“The strength of our business is underpinned by the diversity of our product offering and our ability to serve customers across different segments, from small cars and crossovers to SUVs, bakkies and commercial vehicles,” said Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors.
“This remains particularly important in a market where customers continue to balance affordability, practicality and value.”
The company’s aftersales business also thrived in August, distributing over 1,877,903 parts locally while exporting another 361,754 parts.
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