South African Vehicle Sales Surge in February: Is the Market Finally Recovering?
- apmotomedia
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
by Aphiwe Nzimande

New reports on the South African car market have been released, with WesBank suggesting that "confidence is building in new vehicle sales."
February saw a 7.3% increase in vehicle sales, continuing the year’s cautious optimism. According to data from naamsa (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa), the market recorded a 2.1% rise in sales compared to January and sold 3,255 more units year-on-year, bringing the total to 47,978 vehicles.

Passenger car sales showed strong growth momentum, increasing by 16.8% to 33,757 units. A significant portion of this growth came from rental market activity, with year-to-date sales to rental fleets rising by 33.4% compared to last year. However, the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment moved in the opposite direction, with sales declining by 11.4% to 11,802 units. Year-to-date LCV sales also dropped by 10.2% to 21,705 units.

One of the main contributors to the growth in new car sales has been the introduction of Chinese automotive brands, which offer competitive pricing and appeal to cost-conscious consumers.
Top 10 Best-Selling Vehicle Brands in February 2025
1. Toyota – 11,743 units

Toyota led the market, with the Hilux returning as the best-selling model in South Africa, delivering 2,683 units. The Hilux Double Cab saw 10% growth year-on-year in sales to business customers, highlighting its increasing popularity for commercial fleets. Other strong performers for Toyota included the Corolla Cross, which sold 1,435 units, and the Starlet and Starlet Cross, contributing 1,279 and 1,003 units respectively.
2. Suzuki – 6,044 units

Suzuki maintained its strong position, with the Swift leading the charge at 2,351 units. Another key contributor was the Ertiga, with 627 units, bolstered by its popularity in the ride-hailing sector (such as Uber and Bolt).
3. Volkswagen Group – 5,249 units

Volkswagen's Polo Vivo remained the brand’s top performer, selling 2,187 units, while the Polo and T-Cross also ranked among the top 30 best-selling models for the month.
4. Hyundai – 3,074 units

Hyundai’s sales were driven by the Exter, which moved 428 units, helping the brand stay ahead of Ford.
5. Ford – 2,900 units

The Ford Ranger led the brand’s performance, accounting for 2,168 units—remaining a key player in the LCV market.
6. Isuzu – 2,298 units

Isuzu managed to get 1 924 units of the D-Max moved making it the 3rd best selling bakkie in the whole of South Africa.
7. Chery – 1,924 units

Chinese brands continued to make waves, with the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Haval Jolion, and Omoda C5 among the standout models.
8. GWM – 1,713 units

9. Mahindra – 1,610 units

The newly introduced 3X0 model which replaces the XUV 300, is a finalist in the Old mutual car of the year awards 2025 and you can still vote for it to win on this page : https://ominsurecoty.co.za/
10. Nissan – 1,497 units

The new Magnite starts out at just R 246,200 and if you are in the delivery business you can now get a Panel-Van configuration from just R224,400.
Is the Market's Growth Sustainable?
While the recent growth is promising, industry experts remain cautious. Lebo Gaoaketse, Head of Marketing and Communication at WesBank, warns that despite the positive momentum, affordability remains a key concern: "The market will be hoping for stamina at similar levels, but affordability remains high on South African consumers’ budget considerations and could still trip up this early growth momentum."
Additionally, short-term uncertainty looms due to the postponed budget speech and the return of load-shedding in February, which could dampen market optimism. It remains to be seen whether these factors will curb the recent sales surge or if the industry can sustain its upward trajectory.
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