A resilient local industry ended the year with its highest total since the pandemic six years ago.
South Africa’s new vehicle sales concluded 2025 on a record breaking note with a full year of increases, and 15 months in total since September 2024.
Jetour and Volkswagen Amarok surprise
In a topsy-turvy end to the year, which saw Volkswagen regain its runner-up spot to Toyota from Suzuki for the first time since early in the year, Jetour, again, emerged as the biggest surprise thanks in part to the T2, which totalled 441 unit sales.
Parent company Chery, meanwhile, became the best-selling imported brand with the 1 658 Tiggo 4 Pros it moved, placing it fifth overall among the top-selling nameplates.
Outside the top 20, the Volkswagen Amarok recorded its highest tally on record with an offset of 598, while the Suzuki Swift slipped out of the top 10 with sales of less than 1 000 units for the first time this year.
ALSO READ: Chery and Jetour surprise in still growing November new vehicle sales
A month, unsurprisingly, topped by the Toyota Hilux on 2 979, its stablemate, the Corolla Cross, placed second on 2 766, followed by the Ford Ranger with 2 366.
Taking station above the Tiggo 4 Pro in a top five dominated by locally made products was the Volkswagen Polo Vivo, which amassed sales of 2 024.
Ranking sixth, the Toyota Starlet edged out its Indian-made countryman, the Hyundai Grand i10, with respective sales of 1 608 and 1 583.
Finishing eighth, the Isuzu D-Max completed an even top 10 split between locally made and imported vehicles with 1 563 units moved.
The Great Wall Motors (GWM) Haval Jolion and Suzuki Fronx rounded the top 10 out with sales of 1 323 and 1 170 units, respectively.
Month in detail
Returning to levels last seen before the global pandemic, the December figures from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) showed a 19.2% increase from December 2024’s 41 101 to 48 983.
In total, sales for 2025 improved 15.7% from 2024’s 516 976 to 596 818, its highest since 2023’s 531 334.
Despite not announcing monthly figures, the association confirmed new passenger vehicle sales as having risen by 20.3% versus the same time 12 months ago, and those of light commercial vehicles by 23.7%.
Medium and heavy-duty truck and bus sales, however, ended the month flat, the former dropping seven percent and the latter 13.2%.
In total, and as a result of consecutive monthly increases in the latter months, passenger vehicles ended the year with an offset of 422 292 units, an uptake of 20.1% compared to 2024’s 351 551.
Similarly, light commercials also grew by 7.8% to 143 637 from 133 250.
In spite of the flat note finish, medium-duty commercials rose 5.6% from 7 722 to 8 151, however, heavy-duty trucks and buses dropped three percent to settle at 22 738 compared to last year’s 23 453.
After a rollercoaster year, new vehicle exports ended the year on a low of 26 852 versus the 29 955 of December 2024.
The overall yearly figures, though, saw the local industry post its highest numbers in five years, with an increase of 4.4% to 404 224 from the 391 129 exports in 2024 – the highest since 2023’s 399 808.
Naamsa reaction
“Reflecting on the challenges of 2024, the industry welcomed the positive economic variables that continued to support consumer spending throughout 2025,” Naamsa said.
“The welcomed upswing in new vehicle sales surprised to the upside, achieving sound double-digit growth.
“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 nine percent to 11% over 2025 levels”.
Top 10 best-selling marques
The country’s best-selling brands, as well as their totals and market ranking from November, are as follows:
- Toyota – 12 933 (-)
- Volkswagen – 5 014 (+1)
- Suzuki – 4 961 (-1)
- Hyundai – 3 068 (+1)
- Ford – 2 987 (-1)
- Great Wall Motors (GWM) – 2 453 (-)
- Chery – 2 249 (-)
- Isuzu – 1 906 (-)
- Kia – 1 508 (-)
- Jetour – 1 371 (+5)
December top 50 best-sellers
- Toyota Hilux – 2 979
- Toyota Corolla Cross – 2 766
- Ford Ranger – 2 236
- Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 2 024
- Chery Tiggo 4 Pro – 1 658
- Toyota Starlet – 1 608
- Hyundai Grand i10 – 1 563
- Isuzu D-Max – 1 549
- GWM Haval Jolion – 1 232
- Suzuki Fronx – 1 170
- Suzuki Ertiga – 1 000
- Suzuki Swift – 994
- Toyota Starlet Cross – 969
- Kia Sonet – 888
- Toyota Urban Cruiser – 843
- Omoda C5 – 785
- Volkswagen Polo – 738
- Toyota Vitz – 704
- Nissan Magnite – 668
- Suzuki Baleno – 661
- Toyota Fortuner – 622
- Volkswagen Amarok – 598
- Mahindra XUV 3X0 – 581
- Mahindra Pik Up – 512
- Toyota HiAce – 504
- Renault Triber – 469
- GWM P Series – 465
- Chery Tiggo 7 – 449
- Toyota Land Cruiser 70-series – 444
- Toyota Land Cruiser Prado – 442
- Jetour T2 – 441
- GWM Haval H6 – 435
- Ford Territory – 404
- Jetour Dashing – 392
- Renault Kiger – 392
- Renault Kwid – 371
- Volkswagen T-Cross – 363
- Hyundai Exter – 350
- Toyota Rumion – 350
- Hyundai i20 – 321
- Nissan Navara – 319
- Jetour X70 Plus – 274
- Jetour T1 – 264
- Suzuki Jimny – 258
- Kia Seltos – 255
- Jaecoo J5 – 249
- Hyundai Venue – 240
- Citroën C3 – 230
- GWM Tank 300 – 216
- Suzuki S-Presso – 210
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