Toyota held steadfast as the country’s top-selling automaker this past May, seeing 8,795 vehicles fly off the proverbial shelves.
The Japanese heavyweight was followed by Germany’s darling, VW, whose 4,939 sales were enough to let it reclaim its spot as the country’s second-favourite manufacturer which it briefly lost to Suzuki in April – the latter of which is third once again with 4,101 purchases.
In fourth landed Ford, drawing in 2,860 buyers during the month, and fifth was awarded to Hyundai which saw 2,185 customers.
It was a close battle between Isuzu and Chery for sixth and seventh, though the former was just able to trump the latter at 1,626 units sold versus 1,609.
Nissan then climbed to the eighth position in May thanks to its tally of 1,522 sales, while GWM – which includes the sub-brand Haval – ranked ninth by virtue of its 1,205 registrations.
Closing out the top 10 was Renault, with the manufacturer enjoying a healthy 1,110 transactions.
According to Naamsa, the Automotive Business Council, the national elections on 29 May combined with high interest rates put a damper on big-ticket purchases like new vehicles during the month, with the industry subsequently reporting aggregate sales of 37,105 units, a substantial year-on-year decrease of 6,137 units (14.2%).
Sales of passenger cars dove by 11.7%, and that of light commercial vehicles such as bakkies and mini-buses by a more substantial 19.5%.
In the same vein, purchases of medium and heavy trucks and buses decreased by 7.3% and 17.1%, respectively.
Out of the total reported industry sales, an estimated 89.4% represented dealer sales, 4.5% sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3.1% sales to industry corporate fleets, and 3.0% sales to government.
Vehicle exports performed similarly poorly as domestic new-vehicle sales.
The May 2024 export sales number at 24,235 units reflected a decrease of 5,712 vehicles, or 19.1%, compared to the 29,947 vehicles exported in May 2023.
Hence, year-to-date exports are now 11.6% below the corresponding period in 2023.
Best-selling car brands in South Africa
The list below details the top 10 best-selling car brands in South Africa from May.
Click on the underlined names for more information.
1. Toyota – 8,795 units
2. VW – 4,939 units
3. Suzuki – 4,101 units
4. Ford – 2,860 units
5. Hyundai – 2,185 units
6. Isuzu – 1,626 units
7. Chery – 1,609 units
8. Nissan – 1,522 units
9. GWM – 1,205 units
10. Renault – 1,110 units
Loading ...
