SA car sales race ahead, but exports show warning light
The auto industry in South Africa has faced an unexpectedly challenging year – US President Trump's stop-start tariff brinkmanship caused much anxiety, and with the industry reliant on both local purchasing power as well as export demand, global uncertainty strongly affects a sector responsible for 5.2% of our country's GDP (3.2% manufacturing, 2% retail).
However, the industry appears to be surprisingly resilient according to the latest year-on-year data provided by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa). Issued on 1 July, the data points to surprising resilience and sustained consumer demand, with new vehicle sales up 18.7% year on year, driven primarily by passenger car demand.
Read more: Why South Africa's EV ambitions are still stuck in low gear 'This success was underpinned by favourable economic fundamentals, including interest rate cuts and a still-benign inflation backdrop,' said Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa in a press release noting the results.
Affordability remains key, driven by an influx of cost-effective Chinese-made vehicles with competitive after-sales deals.
Regarding the export markets for South Africa's production, despite an increase in global political and trade uncertainty, the industry is still growing, but is reflecting the changes that external influences have placed on the industry.
'South Africa's automotive industry has long relied on a thriving export engine to sustain production volumes and attract investment,' Mabasa added. Top 15 vehicle brand sales:
Domestic sales surge, export slip
The key takeaway from the data is that domestic sales have surged (total local sales climbed to 47,294 units in June 2025), an 18.7% jump year on year from 2024.
Passenger vehicles – that is, normal cars – did the heavy lifting: 32,570 units sold, up 21.7% from June 2024. Light commercials (bakkies and minibuses) rose 14.9% year on year for the month but remain slightly down (-1.7%) for the year to date.
Exports paint a more complex picture: passenger car exports dipped 4.1% year on year, but light commercial exports jumped 44.5%, driven by batch shipments. Heavy truck and bus exports stayed mixed, showing the fragility of SA's export backbone.
Big brands strong, new players rising
Toyota stayed firmly in pole position: 11,690 local sales and 4,247 exports. VW Group's export dominance (12,159 units) again outpaced local sales (4,973). Ford pushed 3,058 units locally, with 7,382 exported. BMW shipped 6,744 units abroad despite only quarterly reporting.
Chinese brands, GWM and the Chery umbrella (Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo and Jetour), which have increasingly been seen on South African roads, now cluster mid-table for local sales, reflecting consumer demand for affordable SUVs.
Commercial vehicle sales hint at uneven economic recovery.
Medium and heavy trucks jumped for the month (up 24.7% and 40.7% respectively), but year-to-date heavy truck and bus sales remain below 2024 levels (-3.5% YTD). The softness ties to mining decline, stalled infrastructure rollouts and port jams. SA vehicle exports for June:
What it means for SA's auto playbook
Passenger sales strength suggests either a resilient middle-class confidence or rising consumer debt appetite, despite sticky interest rates.
With the auto industry a top industrial exporter, export softness is a flashing warning light. If global demand dips or logistics choke, local jobs and output feel it first.
'Strong consumer demand has helped the sector deliver impressive growth amid global turbulence,' said Mabasa.
The electric pivot remains elusive. Apart from BMW and Mercedes-Benz's high-value exports, the domestic NEV market is embryonic. Chinese brands could disrupt that space fast. DM
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Daily Maverick
8 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
SA car sales race ahead, but exports show warning light
New car sales roared back in June, but exports wobbled for big players like VW and Toyota. Chinese brands continue to chip away at market share. Naamsa's latest numbers reveal a rebound with a risky undercurrent. The auto industry in South Africa has faced an unexpectedly challenging year – US President Trump's stop-start tariff brinkmanship caused much anxiety, and with the industry reliant on both local purchasing power as well as export demand, global uncertainty strongly affects a sector responsible for 5.2% of our country's GDP (3.2% manufacturing, 2% retail). However, the industry appears to be surprisingly resilient according to the latest year-on-year data provided by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa). Issued on 1 July, the data points to surprising resilience and sustained consumer demand, with new vehicle sales up 18.7% year on year, driven primarily by passenger car demand. Read more: Why South Africa's EV ambitions are still stuck in low gear 'This success was underpinned by favourable economic fundamentals, including interest rate cuts and a still-benign inflation backdrop,' said Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa in a press release noting the results. Affordability remains key, driven by an influx of cost-effective Chinese-made vehicles with competitive after-sales deals. Regarding the export markets for South Africa's production, despite an increase in global political and trade uncertainty, the industry is still growing, but is reflecting the changes that external influences have placed on the industry. 'South Africa's automotive industry has long relied on a thriving export engine to sustain production volumes and attract investment,' Mabasa added. Top 15 vehicle brand sales: Domestic sales surge, export slip The key takeaway from the data is that domestic sales have surged (total local sales climbed to 47,294 units in June 2025), an 18.7% jump year on year from 2024. Passenger vehicles – that is, normal cars – did the heavy lifting: 32,570 units sold, up 21.7% from June 2024. Light commercials (bakkies and minibuses) rose 14.9% year on year for the month but remain slightly down (-1.7%) for the year to date. Exports paint a more complex picture: passenger car exports dipped 4.1% year on year, but light commercial exports jumped 44.5%, driven by batch shipments. Heavy truck and bus exports stayed mixed, showing the fragility of SA's export backbone. Big brands strong, new players rising Toyota stayed firmly in pole position: 11,690 local sales and 4,247 exports. VW Group's export dominance (12,159 units) again outpaced local sales (4,973). Ford pushed 3,058 units locally, with 7,382 exported. BMW shipped 6,744 units abroad despite only quarterly reporting. Chinese brands, GWM and the Chery umbrella (Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo and Jetour), which have increasingly been seen on South African roads, now cluster mid-table for local sales, reflecting consumer demand for affordable SUVs. Commercial vehicle sales hint at uneven economic recovery. Medium and heavy trucks jumped for the month (up 24.7% and 40.7% respectively), but year-to-date heavy truck and bus sales remain below 2024 levels (-3.5% YTD). The softness ties to mining decline, stalled infrastructure rollouts and port jams. SA vehicle exports for June: What it means for SA's auto playbook Passenger sales strength suggests either a resilient middle-class confidence or rising consumer debt appetite, despite sticky interest rates. With the auto industry a top industrial exporter, export softness is a flashing warning light. If global demand dips or logistics choke, local jobs and output feel it first. 'Strong consumer demand has helped the sector deliver impressive growth amid global turbulence,' said Mabasa. The electric pivot remains elusive. Apart from BMW and Mercedes-Benz's high-value exports, the domestic NEV market is embryonic. Chinese brands could disrupt that space fast. DM
The Citizen
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ALSO READ: New vehicle sales extended winning streak for a fifth time in May Moving up two places from May, the Isuzu D-Max completed a locally manufactured top five with total sales of 1 678, followed by the sixth placed Chery Tiggo 4 Pro as the highest place imported vehicle with a total of 1 538. Completing an even split between in producing regions, the Hyundai Grand i10 dropped a notch to seventh on 1 484, while the Suzuki Swift recorded the biggest drop of five places from May to settle at eighth with an offset of 1 466. Rounding the top 10 off in a direct swap from last month, the GWH Haval Jolion placed ninth on 1 116 and the Suzuki Fronx 10th on 1 112 as the only other vehicle to amass four digit figures. Month in detail Winning back significant ground in May in coming the closest to the 50 000 mark since March's 49 493, the figures by National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) for June showed an overall increase of 18.7% from last year's 40 621 to 47 294. After a mostly positive run in May, individual segments for June continued on the same trajectory, with passenger vehicle sales posting a 21.7% gain from 26 763 to 32 570, and light commercial vehicles an uptake of 14.9% to 12 159 from last year's 10 599. While medium-duty commercial vehicle remained on the same track as the latter segments with an increase of 24.7% from 523 to 652 units, heavy-duty trucks and buses dipped 3.1% from 2 005 to 1 943. Having lost ground in May, vehicle exports returned to positive territory in June with an uptake of 7.9% from 33 696 to 36 343. 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June Top 50 Best-Sellers Toyota Hilux – 3 035 Ford Ranger – 2 318 Toyota Corolla Cross – 2 132 Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 1 962 Isuzu D-Max – 1 678 Chery Tiggo 4 Pro- 1 538 Hyundai Grand i10 – 1 484 Suzuki Swift- 1 466 GWM Haval Jolion – 1 116 Suzuki Fronx – 1 112 Toyota Fortuner – 878 Mahindra Pik Up – 860 Toyota Starlet – 852 Suzuki Ertiga – 840 Toyota Vitz – 794 Nissan Magnite – 774 Volkswagen Polo – 756 Kia Sonet – 742 Toyota Urban Cruiser – 720 Omoda C5 – 693 Toyota Starlet Cross – 657 Toyota Land Cruiser 70-series – 615 Renault Kwid – 597 Toyota HiAce – 596 Volkswagen T-Cross – 588 Mahindra XUV 3X0 – 477 GWM Haval H6 – 456 Renault Kiger – 439 Hyundai Exter – 438 Nissan Navara – 403 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro – 401 Suzuki S-Presso – 379 Toyota Rumion – 375 Jetour Dashing – 373 GWM P-Series – 367 Suzuki Baleno – 360 Volkswagen Amarok – 354 Citroën C3 – 348 BMW X3 – 339 Jetour X70 Plus – 310 Ford Everest – 306 Ford Territory – 286 Hyundai i20 – 278 Volkswagen Tiguan – 273 Suzuki Jimny – 250 BMW 3 Series – 236 Jaecoo J7 – 230 Foton Tunland G7 – 224 Beijing X55 Plus – 215 Volkswagen Polo Sedan – 214 ALSO READ: Toyota Hilux and Suzuki Swift lead new vehicle sales in April
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