March madness was a common theme toward the end of the month as talks of petrol price increases grew louder and louder on all SA forums. As we know in anything finance-related, the littlest movement means well... everything changes from household mortgages, banking loans, product pricing in retail, and the buying power of the South African citizen, so how did this change affect the number of vehicles sold in the month of March?
Let us find out what recently released Naamsa stats say about the state of motoring in Mzansi. Naamsa says that the March 2026 performance showcases a continued resilience in domestic demand, further supported by improved consumer and business confidence, supportive inflation dynamics earlier in the quarter, and the lagged benefits of cumulative interest rate reductions. However, the external environment has shifted materially over recent weeks, introducing new risks that will likely shape demand conditions in the months ahead. So in simple English, March was still okay thanks to local positives, but there are worries that new global problems could slow down the car market going forward.
Aggregate domestic new vehicle sales in March 2026, at 58,060 units, the best March figures since 2007, reflected an increase of 8,560 units, or 17,3%, compared to the 49,500 vehicles sold in March 2025. Export sales decreased to 37,388 units, representing a loss of 5,3% compared to the 39,499 vehicles exported in March 2025.
Overall, out of the total reported industry sales of 58,060 vehicles, an estimated 51,481 units, or 88,7%, represented dealer sales, an estimated 5,5% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3,2% to government sales, and 2,6% to industry corporate fleets - a composition indicative of sustained retail resilience.
The March 2026 new passenger car market at 39,370 units recorded an increase of 6,054 units, or 18,2%, compared to the 33,316 new cars sold in March 2025. Car rental sales accounted for 6,5% of new passenger vehicles sold during the month. Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles (bakkies and mini-buses) at 15,557 units during March 2026 recorded a gain of 2,112 units, or 15,7% compared to the 13,445 units sold in March 2025.
March new vehicle sales reflect the alignment between South Africa’s economic policy and market performance, as emphasized by naamsa's COO, Mrs. Shinny Gobiyeza. The President's address marks a shift toward investment-led growth in sectors like infrastructure, energy transition, and industrialization, positioning automotive manufacturing as a core growth pillar. This includes a focus on decarbonisation and green industrialisation, framing electric vehicle production as an opportunity. Structural reforms in logistics, rail, and port modernisation enhance competitiveness, supported by a R1 trillion infrastructure pipeline and energy reforms. This environment fosters investment, localisation, and industrial growth in the automotive sector.
In early 2026, South Africa's macroeconomic environment showed cautious support despite external vulnerabilities. Consumer confidence improved but unevenly benefited higher-income households. Business confidence rose to 47 index points, with vehicle dealer confidence at a 13-year high. Inflation moderated to 3.0% but worsened due to rising global oil prices, although a temporary fuel levy reduction offers short-term relief. The SARB maintained the repo rate, indicating potential structural growth as naamsa expects recovery from previous interest cuts to bolster demand.
With all the serious jabber out of the way, let us take a quick look at who were the best selling brands in South Africa and of course a usual suspect runs the reigns :
Top 10 Best-Selling Brands :
- Toyota – 13,323 units
- Volkswagen – 5,574 units
- Suzuki – 5,047 units
- Isuzu – 3,513 units
- Hyundai – 3,258 units
- Ford – 2,828 units
- GWM – 2,777 units
- Chery – 2,390 units
- Mahindra – 2,280 units
- Jetour – 1,768 unit
Kia fell short of making it into the top ten list as they only managed to move 1,646. In 12th place, the Germans in the form of BMW Group (including MINI) sold 1,588 units. Nissan came 13th with 1,487 units sold, and at 14th you have the O&J duo in the form of Omoda and Jaecoo registering 1,433. To make up the top 15 list, we have Renault with 1,407 units.