By Staff Reporter

South Africa’s new vehicle market delivered its strongest performance in a decade during 2025, with Toyota South Africa Motors maintaining its position as the country’s market leader. The company recorded its best annual sales result since 2007, driven by strong demand across passenger, light commercial and locally produced vehicles.

Industry-wide, total new vehicle sales reached approximately 596,818 units in 2025, the highest level since 2015. Against this backdrop, Toyota South Africa achieved total sales of 148,124 vehicles, ending the year with an overall market share of 24.8 percent and average monthly sales of more than 12,300 units.

Local production played a central role in Toyota’s performance. The Toyota Hilux remained South Africa’s best-selling vehicle, with 36,525 units sold during the year. It was followed by the Corolla Cross with 22,191 units and the Fortuner with 9,049 units, all produced at Toyota’s Prospecton Plant in KwaZulu-Natal. The locally assembled Hiace Taxi also performed strongly, recording 6,815 units.

Across segments, Toyota sold 92,997 passenger vehicles and 51,005 light commercial vehicles in 2025. The company also recorded sales of 2,689 medium commercial vehicles and 1,433 heavy commercial vehicles, reflecting its broad product offering across private, fleet and commercial markets.

According to industry body naamsa, the strong performance was supported by improving economic conditions during the year, including lower interest rates, easing inflation and increased consumer confidence. Vehicle inflation slowed to a record low of 1.5 percent, while renewed credit availability, pent-up demand and increased availability of competitively priced imports contributed to higher sales volumes.

Toyota closed the year on a positive note in December, recording 12,933 vehicle sales and a monthly market share of 25.6 percent. Passenger car sales were led by the Corolla Cross, followed by the Starlet, Starlet Cross, Urban Cruiser and Vitz. In the light commercial segment, the Hilux retained its leading position, supported by strong performances from the Hiace and Land Cruiser models.

Looking ahead, naamsa forecasts further growth in the new vehicle market during 2026, with sales expected to improve by between 9 percent and 11 percent, supported by gradual economic recovery and ongoing structural reforms.