South Africa’s new vehicle market recorded continued growth in October 2026, despite persistent cost-of-living pressures affecting consumers. Aggregate domestic sales reached 61,890 units in October 2026, representing a 5,839 unit, or 10,4% increase compared with the 56,051 units sold during October 2025. Export sales surprised on the upside, reaching 38,117 units and reflecting a 6.3% increase compared with the corresponding month last year.
Of the total reported industry sales of 61,890 vehicles, an estimated 48,234 units, or 78,0% represented dealer sales, 16,5% sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3,3% to government purchases, and 2,2% to corporate fleet sales.
The October 2026 new passenger car market registered 45,084 units, reflecting an increase of 5,380 units, or 13,6% compared to the 39,704 units sold in October 2025. The car rental industry accounted for a sound 21,4% of new passenger vehicle sales during the month. Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and minibuses amounted to 13,689 units, representing an increase of 291 units, or 2,2% compared to the 13,398 units sold in October 2025.
Demonstrating extraordinary growth, cumulative NEV sales for the first nine months of 2026 reached 22,389 units, already eclipsing the full-year 2025 total of 16,703 units by 34.0% with a full quarter still remaining.
This acceleration in alternative powertrain adoption is vividly underscored by the milestone that 1 in every 9 cars sold in September was an NEV. Underlying this broader market penetration is a fundamental compositional shift. Having crossed the 50% threshold on a cumulative basis since July 2026, rechargeable vehicles - combining Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) - accounted for 50.5% of all year-to-date NEV sales in September (8,082 PHEVs and 3,217 BEVs), slightly exceeding the contribution ofTraditional Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), which stood at 49.5% (11,090 units). This illustrates an evolving adoption pathway, as consumers progressively transition along the electrification journey from traditional hybrids toward fully rechargeable powertrains.
Here are the top 10 best selling cars brands in the month of October 2023 :
1. Toyota – 14 495 units
2. Suzuki – 7 292 units
3. Volkswagen Group – 6 515 units
4. Ford – 3 353 units
5. Hyundai – 3 207 units
6. GWM – 2 919 units
7. Chery – 2 754 units
8. Kia – 2 233 units
9. Isuzu – 2 123 units
10. Jetour – 2 102 units
Renault SA, with 1,706 units, got stuck at 11th for a consecutive time, while India-based Mahindra, with 1,484 units, and BMW Group SA, with a Naamsa-estimated 1,312 units ( including the Mini brand), each moved up a ranking to 12th and 13th, respectively. This meant that we saw the Omoda & Jaecoo SA pair fall a couple of spots to 14th with 1,201 units registered, and lastly, Tata Motors PV SA had 1,057 units (including 265 rental sales), again closing out the top 15 after hitting four figures for the first time since its return to the local market.
As South Africa’s new vehicle market progresses through the final quarter of 2026, the continued growth in domestic sales and accelerating uptake of New Energy Vehicles provide encouraging signals of underlying market resilience and evolving consumer demand. However, sustaining this momentum will depend on strengthening domestic purchasing power, maintaining a competitive and predictable policy environment, and addressing the structural cost pressures affecting both manufacturers and consumers.