South African new vehicle sales surge to 10-year high: these were the top 15 brands in September
Toyota topped the charts with over 14,000 sales in September.
Image: Supplied
South Africa’s new vehicle sales surge continued in September 2025, with a lofty volume of 54,700 units recorded by Naamsa.
Not only is this 24.3% higher than the same month last year, but it’s also the highest monthly figure recorded since September 2015.
Passenger vehicle sales rose by 28.0% year-on-year to 38,603 units, the segment’s highest volume since October 2014. Buoyant rental sales played a key role here, accounting for 20.1% of the passenger car volume. Light commercial vehicles, including bakkies, gained 19.7% versus September 2024. However, medium commercial vehicles were down by 1.9%, while the heavies saw their volume increase by 5.9%.
80.1% of new vehicle sales took place through the dealer channels in September, Naamsa said, followed by rental sales (15.2%), corporate fleets (2.7%) and government sales (2.0%).
Vehicle export volumes shot up by 32.9% to a total of 29,180 units in September, bringing the year-to-date export tally 6.0% ahead of the same period in 2024, despite Trump’s tariff imposition. You can thank those Polos from Kariega.
WesBank’s marketing head Lebo Gaoaketse said a more favourable economic outlook should continue to support increased new vehicle sales going forward, with stable fuel prices, a stronger currency and lower interest rates all contributing to consumer and business confidence.
However, household budgets remain strained and affordability remains the key consideration in purchase decisions.
“Levels of demand are unprecedented with September having the highest volumes of applications for finance,” Gaoaketse said.
Brandon Cohen, chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA), said confidence and sentiment were looking strong in both the new and used markets.
“We certainly noticed good dealer activity in September. Some brands absolutely shot the lights out, while others struggled a little, reflecting the overall performance of the new vehicle market.”
Toyota was the greatest victor here, recording 14,146 new vehicle sales, its highest in over three years, and securing a 26% market share in the process.
Toyota’s top sellers were the Hilux (3,639), Corolla Cross (1,891), Starlet (1,626), Vitz (1,446) and Urban Cruiser (1,191).
15 Top Manufacturers: September 2025
- Toyota - 14,146
- Suzuki Auto - 6,072
- Volkswagen - 5,763
- Ford - 3,093
- Hyundai - 3,005
- GWM - 2,620
- Isuzu - 2,478
- Chery - 2,264
- Kia - 1,706
- Mahindra - 1,524
- Renault - 1,376
- Nissan - 1,362
- BMW Group - 1,220
- Omoda & Jaecoo - 1,201
- Stellantis - 848
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