South Africa's Used Car Market Is Booming — and Changing Fast

Strong January sales figures confirm a lasting shift in how South Africans buy vehicles. Affordability now rules, bakkies dominate, and Chinese brands are no longer the underdogs.

Market data: January 2026  ·  Source: AutoTrader SA / George Mienie

January by the numbers

South Africa's used car market opened 2026 with considerable momentum. A total of 34,452 vehicles changed hands in January — up 11% on the same month in 2025 and 12% ahead of December 2025. The total value of those transactions reached R14.32 billion, with the average vehicle priced at R416,082.

Units Sold

34,452

+11% year-on-year

Market Value

R14.32bn

Total transactions

Avg Price

R416,082

Avg Mileage

70,938 km

Newer stock entering market

Encouragingly, none of the top ten selling models recorded a year-on-year decline — a sign that demand is broad-based, not concentrated in a single segment.

Bakkies on top, again

The Ford Ranger retained its position as the country's best-selling used vehicle, with 2,069 units sold in January — a 6.3% increase on the prior year. The Toyota Hilux followed closely in second, maintaining its reputation for reliability and longevity.

The used bakkie makes a compelling case: a typical four-year-old Ford Ranger with around 84,000 km on the clock trades at roughly R498,000 — about R80,000 less than an equivalent new vehicle.

Bakkies have long outgrown their worksite image. Today they serve equally well as family haulers, business tools and weekend adventure vehicles — which helps explain why they consistently outperform passenger cars in resale volume.

Small cars: the quiet winners

Affordable passenger vehicles are staging their own surge, driven by rising living costs and tighter household budgets. The Suzuki Swift recorded 25% year-on-year growth, selling 794 units while also standing out as the fastest-selling used car in January — clearing stock in just 26 days on average.

The Hyundai Grand i10 and Toyota Corolla Cross also posted strong growth, pointing to sustained appetite for fuel-efficient, easy-to-finance options.

Hybrids surge as EV hesitancy persists

South Africa's new-energy vehicle segment expanded by 73% in 2025, with 5,727 units sold. But the headline tells only part of the story: hybrids accounted for 85% of that total. Fully electric vehicles grew 55%, while plug-in hybrids jumped 280% — yet remained a small share overall.

NEV growth (2025) +73% |  Hybrid share 85% | Of all NEV sales |  PHEV growth +280% | BEV growth +55%

The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid led the segment. The message from buyers is clear: they want lower fuel costs without the anxiety of managing charging infrastructure — a rational position given South Africa's load-shedding legacy and limited public charging network.

Chinese brands find their footing

Chinese manufacturers are no longer fringe players in the South African market. The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro topped the Chinese-brand rankings with 3,144 units sold, at an average price of R284,779 and a remarkably low average mileage of 21,970 km. The Haval Jolion followed with 2,736 units.

Analysts describe the Chinese value proposition as delivering roughly 80% of the experience of European or Japanese rivals at around 60% of the price. As buyers grow more informed and less brand-loyal, that equation is increasingly hard to ignore.

Who is buying — and why

Several forces are converging to drive the market's growth. Interest rate cuts totalling 100 basis points in 2025 lowered the cost of finance. At the same time, rising fuel, electricity and food costs have pushed buyers away from luxury and toward practicality. The profile of today's used-car buyer is more informed, more cautious, and more focused on total cost of ownership than any previous generation.

Digital tools have also changed the transaction. Vehicle history reports, online pricing platforms and dealer certification programmes have made the used-car purchase more transparent, eroding the trust deficit that long held the segment back.

The brand leaderboard

Toyota retained its position as the top brand by volume for 2025's full year, followed by Volkswagen and Ford.

Toyota 5,876  |  Volkswagen 4,733 |  Ford 3,577

For the full year 2025, the market recorded 383,410 vehicles sold for a total value of R160.1 billion — growth of 7% on 2024.

"Buyers are still active, but far more value-driven. The brands winning are those offering the right balance between price, quality, and affordability."

— George Mienie, AutoTrader SA

For anyone shopping for a vehicle in 2026, the market offers more choice, better transparency, and a wider range of quality used stock than at any point in recent memory. The main constraint is no longer supply — it is finding the right match between budget and expectation in a market that is moving quickly in every direction.