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home solar installations for ' free ' recharging and running the Dolphin Surf as a third family car for short-distance urban daily driving.
Toyota still dominates
Emerging Chinese brands are pressuring many traditional OEMs across most global markets, including South Africa. But the country ' s most influential car company continues to outpace all challenges, growing its market share.
Toyota South Africa sold 14,142 passenger cars and bakkies in July, capturing 24,4 % of the total market. To contextualise that performance, Toyota ' s nearest rival was Suzuki with 5,994 units.
Hilux remains South Africa ' s most popular model range, and with the ninth-generation version of Toyota ' s most important product introduced last month, it was a clear sales leader. Toyota built 4,189 Hilux bakkies for local customers, powered by its largest-ever investment in the KZN production facility at Prospecton.
Beyond vehicle sales, Toyota ' s parts business continued to play a critical role in supporting customers and export markets. In July, domestic parts distribution exceeded 2 million units, while export volumes reached 410,418 units, underscoring the strength of Toyota ' s supply chain and after-sales operations.
for physical dealerships. But how healthy is the dealership business amid surging new-vehicle demand?
In July, almost 85 % of all vehicles sold were through dealerships. " The July results clearly indicate that consumer confidence is improving," said Brandon Cohen, Chairperson of NADA. " With 84,8 % of all new vehicles sold during July being retailed through dealerships, consumers are once again prepared to invest in their mobility when the right value, affordability and finance solutions come together, and dealerships across the country are seeing that confidence translate into showroom activity."
For the South African automotive aftermarket, growing newvehicle sales means increased future service and maintenance demand. But this creates both opportunity and risk. Some newer Chinese brands do not have extensive parts inventories. This is especially true for crash-replacement parts, compared to standardised maintenance parts.
For customers who are experiencing frustration getting the service they want from smaller, newer importers, the option is to go to independent workshops and repairers for help. Although the skills in the South African independent workshop and repair industry are highly developed, there ' s nothing the best technicians in the country can do if they don ' t have access to parts and technical manuals.
Despite many new models and trim options, Chinese pure bakkie brands are not overperforming and threatening established South African bakkie favourites like the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max.
Dealers and Aftermarket
The South African buying market has changed, with digital platforms now generating a huge number of leads
SEPTEMBER 2026 7 WORDS IN ACTION