South Africa’s new car market continued to grow strongly in October, reaching its highest monthly sales in more than a decade. According to naamsa, the Automotive Business Council, 55,956 new vehicles were sold in October, up 16% from the same month last year when 48,222 vehicles were sold.
This is the best performance since March 2015, showing that the car market is finishing the year on a strong note.Most of the vehicles, 79%, were sold by dealers. The rest went to rental companies (16.6%), government (2.2%) and corporate fleets (2.1%).
“These figures are even better than we anticipated,” said Brandon Cohen, National Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA).
“Foot traffic in franchised dealerships was encouraging throughout October, but the magnitude of these results, achieved despite tight household budgets and historically low consumer confidence, is remarkable.”
Passenger Cars and Bakkies Lead the WaySales of passenger cars reached 39,610 units, up 14.8% from October 2024 — the highest in 11 years. Rental companies bought many of these cars ahead of the busy holiday season, making up 21.7% of sales. Light commercial vehicles, including bakkies and minibuses, rose sharply by 23.9% to 13,361 units. Sales of medium trucks went up 9.3%, while heavy trucks and buses were slightly down by 1%.
Better Economy Helping SalesEasing inflation, stable fuel prices, and a stronger rand helped boost consumer confidence. Inflation stayed at 3.4% in September, giving households more spending power. The Reserve Bank kept interest rates at 7.0%, but experts expect cuts in early 2026, which could make car loans cheaper and help sales even more. Exports Also UpVehicle exports increased slightly to 32,659 units in October, up 0.5% from last year. So far this year, exports are 6.7% higher than in 2024, showing strong demand for South African-made vehicles overseas.
