Toyota has set a new year-to-date sales record of 13,276 units.
The Japanese carmaker was one of several brands that had an excellent run in August 2025, selling thousands of units to private motorists, businesses, and rental agencies.
Of course, no other company comes close to the success that Toyota enjoys as the number one brand in South Africa with more than twice as many sales as the runner-up.
To put things in perspective, Toyota sold 13,276 units last month while Suzuki sold 6,534 units, and VW sold 5,521.
In other words, Toyota sold more cars than the second and third best-performing brands put together.
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has an overall market share of 25.6%, meaning that one in every four cars sold here has that familiar T logo on the front.
Unsurprisingly, the top choice for many consumers was the Hilux, which made its way into 3,325 new homes last month.
The Hilux was not only Toyota’s best-selling model but was, in fact, the top-selling vehicle in the country – a title it has held for several years.
This was followed by the Corolla Cross, which sold an impressive 2,743 units, making it the best-selling passenger car and the second best-selling vehicle overall.
Other popular entries includes the Starlet hatchback (1,322 units), the Vitz hatchback (885 units) and the Rumion people carrier (772 units).
The high-end Toyota Prado even managed to sell 270 units despite its R1.3-million price tag, indicating that there is a sizeable market for premium 4x4s.
Speaking of luxury models, Lexus added 80 more sales to Toyota’s total last month,, with the Prado-based GX accounting for 28 of those purchases.
A good month for carmakers
Toyota attributed its excellent performance to improved consumer sentiment, which has resulted in an upward trend in sales across the industry.
“It is fascinating to see new vehicle sales soaring to pre-covid levels. This gives us confidence about the rebound we’ve been anticipating for years now,” said Leon Theron, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at TSAM.
“With regards to Toyota South Africa Motor’s performance, we are pleased with the increase of sales and market share of 25.6%.”
“The favourable conditions and the availability of a broad scope of mobility offerings helped us achieve these milestones.”
According to the Automotive Business Council, aggregate new-vehicle sales saw a staggering year-on-year improvement of 18.7% to reach 51,880 units.
This is the highest level achieved by the industry since October 2019 – a positive indication that sales have truly rebounded to pre-pandemic conditions.
Loading ...
