Mzansi’s new vehicle total market closed October on the highest note, with 61 890 units sold, up 10.4% on the same month last year and the strongest monthly total of 2026 so far. Even with one fewer working day and pressure from two interest rate increases, plus sharply higher fuel prices, demand held firm. Passenger Cars drove the growth (up 13.6% to 45 084 units), while Light Commercials edged 2.2% higher. Year-to-date sales stand at 554 081 units, already 12.3% ahead of 2025. This bodes well for my own prediction of around 650 000 total units for 2026.
Toyota remained first at 14 495 units, with Suzuki rising to over 7 000 for the first time (7 292), and the Volkswagen Group trailing by 777 units. Ford – ably led by the Ranger as always – and Hyundai, held steady in fourth and fifth spot respectively, while GWM advanced to just below 3 000 units (2 919) and Chery settled back at 2 754 cars. Kia (2 233), Isuzu (2 123) and Jetour (2 102) rounded out the top ten. Notable movers included Tata Motors, who broke the 1 000 units mark for the first time, Stellantis (1 028) and BYD (814), the latter continuing its steady climb.
So, Toyota’s dominance endures on the strength of the Hilux, which saw off 3 820 units and volume models like the Corolla Cross (1 723 units). The Japanese marque attained a whopping 23.4% market share. Suzuki’s consistent climb, is driven primarily by Swift (2 344 units), Ertiga (1 234) and Fronx (1 118). That and Volkswagen’s resilience highlights the appeal of accessible, well-equipped cars. Additionally, the Chinese brands continue embedding themselves deeper in the top ranks.
Here are the sales figures as reported by industry body naamsa:
1. Toyota (including Lexus and Hino) – 14 495 units
2. Suzuki – 7 292
3. Volkswagen Group (including Audi) – 6 515
4. Ford – 3 353
5. Hyundai – 3 207
6. GWM (including Haval, Tank and Ora) – 2 919
7. Chery – 2 754
8. Kia – 2 233
9. Isuzu – 2 123
10. Jetour – 2 102
11. Renault – 1 706
12. Mahindra – 1 484
13. BMW Group (including MINI) – 1 312
14. Omoda and Jaecoo – 1 201
15. Tata Motors (passenger cars only) – 1 057
16. Stellantis (including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Jeep, Leapmotor, Opel and Peugeot) – 1 028
17. BYD – 814
18. Nissan – 698
19. FAW Trucks – 687
20. Mercedes-Benz – 548
21. Changan (including Deepal) – 375
22. JAC – 353
23. Foton – 329
24. Daimler Truck – 245
25. Salvador Caetano Group (including GAC and JMC) – 243
26. Honda – 226
27. MG – 221
28. Volvo Group (trucks only) – 207
29. Scania – 199
29. UD Trucks – 199
31. JLR (including Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover) – 195
32. Mitsubishi – 188
33. BAIC – 179
34. LDV – 172
35. Mazda – 160
36. MAN – 145
37. Volvo Cars – 113
38. Porsche – 110
39. Powerstar – 96
40. Sinotruk – 91
41. Subaru – 83
42. Tata (trucks only) – 71
43. Shacman – 60
44. VECV – 43
45. Iveco – 32
46. Babcock – 15
47. Scuderia (Ferrari) – 12
