Last year, South Africa’s automotive market recorded its strongest performance in nearly 20 years, selling 596,818 new passenger cars, thanks to a shift in local buyer behaviour.
The shift has seen more than 90% of new car buyers conducting their own research online, making their decisions long before visiting a dealership.
This is according to marketing agency Rogerwilco, whose 2026 South African Automotive Report outlines that buyer behaviour has shifted towards high-intent, model-specific queries.
The report shows that consumer choices are increasingly being shaped earlier in their ownership journey, as many have their minds made up long before direct interaction with a dealership or brand.
It explained that search behaviour, social conversation, and peer validation are no longer merely awareness drivers for buyers; they are actively determining which brands are taken into consideration.
“The battle in South Africa’s automotive market is no longer just for market share, it’s for mental availability at the moment of decision,” explains Mongezi Mtati, Senior Brand Strategist at Rogerwilco.
“With 92% of car buyers completing their research online before visiting a dealership, search behaviour, social conversation and sales data can no longer be seen in isolation.”
He says that these now form part of the system and that brands that understand this will always be ahead of the competition.
Rogerwilco’s report shows that online conversations regarding vehicles and buying choices are becoming more concentrated, and while more brands are being discussed, the number of contributors is declining.
It is in these conversations that emerging brands are gaining ground over their competitors, driven by their competitive pricing and positive market sentiment.
Chery became South Africa’s most-mentioned passenger vehicle brand, jumping nine places, thanks to its 510% increase in mentions, allowing the Chinese brand to overtake BMW, which declined by 13%.
Fellow emerging brands GWM and Mahindra also recorded an increase in visibility, which led to sales jumps of more than 40% in 2025.
Buying decisions are being made online
Rogerwilco’s report highlights that competition has moved online, with the majority of organic car searches taking place outside brand-owned platforms.
These grew from 54% in 2024 to 62% in 2025, with publishers, aggregators and marketplaces capturing the market share of high-intent traffic.
Buyer search behaviour is also becoming more precise, as buyers no longer search broadly by brand or category, but rather for specific models, specifications, and prices.
Most notably, the Toyota Starlet recorded a 108% increase in monthly search volume, while the searches for the Suzuki Swift rose 72%, signalling an increase in buyer intent.
Shaun Pearson, Social Tech Product Owner and Consumer Insights Specialist at YOUKNOW Technologies – which helped develop the report – says brands are no longer competing to be discovered.
“They are competing to remain present and credible throughout the decision journey,” he explains.
“Visibility alone creates interest, but it is sustained relevance and real-world validation that ultimately drives conversion.”
The Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) noted that fuel price increases and inflationary pressure may influence buying decisions by inviting deeper brand scrutiny.
Rogerwilco explains that the brands with the clearest, most accessible digital presence at the point of decision will be the ones that retain buyer consideration when conditions tighten.
Mtati notes that the brands that will lead in this market are not necessarily the loudest or the best-funded.
“They are the ones that treat search, social media and reviews as connected signals, not separate channels. And that integration is becoming more urgent,” he says.
“Generative AI is increasingly shaping the recommendations buyers encounter before they visit a website or a showroom.”
“If a brand isn’t showing up credibly in those environments, it is being decided against before the conversation has even started.”
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