Apart from April, new vehicle sales have easily exceeded 50 000 unit sales.
With the reveal of the monthly new vehicle sales figures in June, the local automotive industry recorded its 20th straight month of no decreases since 2024.
2025 vs 2026
At the same time, only April saw sales dip below 40 000 units, with a total of 47 979 vehicles sold.
Compared to 2025, though, the first half of 2026 saw a total offset 206 987 units which, despite record uptakes of more than 50 000 units in five of the six months, still ranked behind last year’s tall of 232 474.
Prediciton
“The South African Reserve Bank projects real GDP growth for 2026 at around 1.4% to 1.6%, supported by ongoing structural reforms in electricity and transport through Operation Vulindlela,” the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) said in its projection report for 2026.
“The new vehicle market momentum is upward and 2026 new vehicle sales are poised for a further upper single digit to lower double-digit improvement of 9% to 11% over 2025 levels.
“Globally, geopolitical shifts remain a focal point; China’s domestic vehicle sales decline is expected to drive a continued “affordability influx” as their manufacturers look outward for growth.
“While the US economy presents uncertainties, the industry remains focused on securing its competitive position in the European Union, South Africa’s most crucial export regional destination by far”.
Mid-year top 20 best-selling vehicles
With half the year gone, The Citizen takes a look at the top 20 best-selling vehicles between January and June, as well as the 15 best performing brands.
| POS | MODEL | TOTAL | BEST MONTH |
| 1. | Toyota Hilux | 18 822 | March – 4 118 |
| 2. | Volkswagen Polo Vivo | 12 950 | June – 2 395 |
| 3. | Isuzu D-Max | 10 068 | March – 3 008 |
| 4. | Chery Tiggo 4 | 9 263 | June – 2 070 |
| 5. | Suzuki Swift | 8 881 | February – 2 508 |
| 6. | Ford Ranger | 8 327 | June – 2 150 |
| 7. | GWM Haval Jolion | 7 588 | June – 1 424 |
| 8. | Toyota Corolla Cross | 7 141 | March – 1 536 |
| 9. | Suzuki Fronx | 6 874 | March – 1 179 |
| 10 | Toyota Vitz | 6 218 | January – 1 514 |
| 11. | Hyundai Grand i10 | 5 981 | May – 1 829 |
| 12. | Omoda C5 | 5 219 | January – 907 |
| 13. | Toyota Starlet | 5 108 | January – 1 372 |
| 14. | Kia Sonet | 5 097 | January – 1 000 |
| 15. | Suzuki Ertiga | 5 010 | June – 1 150 |
| 16. | Toyota Urban Cruiser | 4 960 | June – 1 174 |
| 17. | Jetour T2 | 4 942 | May – 1 090 |
| 18. | Volkswagen Polo | 4 747 | June – 864 |
| 19. | Mahindra Pik Up | 4 689 | March – 1 037 |
| 20. | Mahindra XUV 3X0 | 4 439 | March – 1 063 |
Mid-year top 15 best-performing brands
- Toyota – 58 381
- Volkswagen – 20 096
- Suzuki – 16 598
- Great Wall Motors (GWM) – 12 833
- Chery – 12 203
- Hyundai – 12 033
- Ford – 11 423
- Jetour – 10 869
- Mahindra – 10 143
- Kia – 9 250
- Isuzu – 8 788
- Omoda & Jaecoo – 8 311
- Renault – 8 028
- BMW – 7 948
- Nissan – 6 267