These were SA’s most popular cars as sales spiked in March
Toyota maintains its lead but VW has been usurped as SA’s second most popular brand
01 April 2025 - 17:03
by Denis Droppa
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Toyota retained its position as South Africa’s favourite brand with 11,660 units sold. Picture: SUPPLIED
Sales of new vehicles surged in March, signalling increased consumer confidence in SA.
Motor industry umbrella body Naamsa reported 49,493 sales last month, a 12.5% increase over March 2024. Passenger cars led the charge, soaring by 25.3% to 33,447 units, driven by robust consumer demand and a stable lending environment, said Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa.
“The automotive sector benefited from stable inflation at 3.2% year-on-year in February and earlier monetary easing, which supported consumer confidence and vehicle financing,” he said.
Sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and minibuses, at 13,328 units, were 8.4% down. Medium trucks declined 1.8% to 696 units and heavy trucks were down 0.5% to 2,022.
Export sales were 39,477 vehicles last month, a 31.1% increase over March 2024. The growth coincided with this week’s US presidential announcement threatening the future of SA exports, underscoring the sector’s ability to withstand geopolitical shifts, said Mabasa.
Toyota remained the top selling domestic brand in March with 11,660 units, but Suzuki took over from Volkswagen for the third consecutive month as SA’s second-best-selling brand.
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NEWS
These were SA’s most popular cars as sales spiked in March
Toyota maintains its lead but VW has been usurped as SA’s second most popular brand
Sales of new vehicles surged in March, signalling increased consumer confidence in SA.
Motor industry umbrella body Naamsa reported 49,493 sales last month, a 12.5% increase over March 2024. Passenger cars led the charge, soaring by 25.3% to 33,447 units, driven by robust consumer demand and a stable lending environment, said Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa.
“The automotive sector benefited from stable inflation at 3.2% year-on-year in February and earlier monetary easing, which supported consumer confidence and vehicle financing,” he said.
Sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and minibuses, at 13,328 units, were 8.4% down. Medium trucks declined 1.8% to 696 units and heavy trucks were down 0.5% to 2,022.
Export sales were 39,477 vehicles last month, a 31.1% increase over March 2024. The growth coincided with this week’s US presidential announcement threatening the future of SA exports, underscoring the sector’s ability to withstand geopolitical shifts, said Mabasa.
Toyota remained the top selling domestic brand in March with 11,660 units, but Suzuki took over from Volkswagen for the third consecutive month as SA’s second-best-selling brand.
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