SA’s 10 best-selling automakers of 2025: all the insights
We’ve crunched the numbers to identify SA’s top 10 automakers of 2025, while also calculating each firm’s market share. Here’s some insight into what changed last year…
- Toyota prevails for 46th straight year
- Suzuki secures 2nd ahead of VW Group
- Hyundai reclaims 4th place from Ford
- GWM posts strongest growth in top 10
- Mahindra cracks top 10 as Kia returns
- Renault and Nissan drop out of top 10
In 2025, South Africa’s new-vehicle sales increased 15.7% year on year to 596 818 units. So, which of the local market’s top 10 automakers grew their tallies year on year? And which ones lost some ground compared with 2024?
Well, we’ve tallied up the sales figures to not only identify SA’s 10 best-selling automakers of 2025 but also calculate each contender’s overall market share. Interestingly, one brand returned to the top 10 last year, while another made its first appearance on the table. In a recovering market, as many as 9 of the top 10 automakers grew their sales year on year, though 4 suffered market-share decreases.
Toyota triumphs as Suzuki jumps VW Group
There were no surprises at the very top in 2025, with Toyota (including the Lexus and Hino brands) again reigning supreme – for the 46th consecutive year, in fact. In the end, the Japanese automaker sold a whopping 148 122 units in South Africa, representing a 15.1% increase compared with 2024 and translating to a 24.8% market share (down marginally on the prior year’s 24.9%). Furthermore, that’s the brand’s highest total since 2007.
The big news, however, was that Suzuki made 2nd place very much its own in 2025, securing this spot every single month of the year bar December. The Hamamatsu-based automaker registered a record 71 560 units in Mzansi last year, up 20.1% compared with 2024 and thus outpacing the industry’s average growth. As a result, Suzuki gained a ranking, while its market share increased to 12.0%, up from 2024’s figure of 11.6%.
Therefore, the Volkswagen Group (including Audi) slipped a position to 3rd in 2025, ultimately finishing 7 893 units behind Suzuki. Interestingly, the German company was the only automaker in the top 10 to suffer a year-on-year decline in sales, with its total of 63 667 units down some 4.2% compared to 2024. As such, the VW Group’s market share slid from 12.9% to 10.7%.
Hyundai seizes 4th as Ford slips a ranking
After relinquishing 4th position in 2024, Hyundai grabbed back this ranking last year, increasing its total by a considerable 18.4% to finish 2025 on 36 409 units. The South Korean firm’s market share thus improved marginally from 6.0% to 6.1%.
Meanwhile, despite Ford growing its sales tally 5.7% year on year to 34 628 units, the Blue Oval brand dropped a place to 5th in 2025. Since the Dearborn-based automaker couldn’t match the industry’s overall growth, its market share dropped from 6.4% in 2024 to 5.8% in 2025.
GWM records strongest growth in top 10
On the back of the strongest instance of year-on-year growth in the top 10, GWM climbed 3 spots to finish 6th – its highest ranking yet. The Baoding-based firm (which includes the Haval, Tank and Ora sub-brands) enjoyed a 43.7% year-on-year surge in sales to reach 27 202 units, giving it a market share of 4.6% (up from 3.7% in 2024) and seeing it reclaim the title of SA’s top-selling Chinese automaker.
That saw Isuzu fall a position to 7th, despite the Yokohama-based company adding 12.2% to its 2024 effort to finish on 26 134 units (or 1 068 units behind GWM) in 2025. The Japanese brand – which relies heavily on the locally built D-Max for its sales volumes – ended the year with a market share of 4.4% (down marginally from 4.5%).
What about the 2nd Chinese brand in the top 10? Well, after breaking into the top 10 in 2024, Chery – which, we should point out, excludes subsidiaries such as Omoda & Jaecoo and Jetour – had to settle for retaining 8th in 2025. Still, Chery posted a healthy 26.7% year-on-year increase in sales to reach 25 304 units (growing its market share from 3.9% to 4.2% in the process).
Kia returns as Mahindra cracks top 10, too
Having slipped off the table in 2024 (when it ranked 11th), Kia returned to the top 10 in 2025, improving its total 25.3% year on year to 18 517 units and securing 9th place. This effort saw the Seoul-based automaker increase its share of South Africa’s overall new-vehicle market from 2.9% to 3.1%.
Meanwhile, Mahindra broke into the calendar-year top 10 for the very first time, posting the 2nd strongest instance of year-on-year growth here with a significant 40.7% increase. After placing 12th in 2024, the Indian automaker climbed to 10th in 2025, with its final tally of 18 100 units representing a 3.0% share of the overall market (up from 2.5%).
Renault and Nissan tumble out of top 10
So, which brands were booted out of the top 10 in 2025? Well, though Renault grew its total 3.7% year on year to 16 413 units (after suffering a 27.1% drop in 2024), the French firm fell a ranking to 11th, with its share of the overall market decreasing from 3.1% to 2.8%.
Meanwhile, Nissan suffered an appreciable 32.3% year-on-year decline in sales (on the back of a 23.6% drop in 2024) to end the year on 15 085 units. That saw the Japanese firm tumble 5 places to 12th overall, with its market share shrinking from 4.3% to just 2.5%.
South Africa’s 10 best-selling automakers of 2025
| AUTOMAKER | 2025 SALES | Y-ON-Y CHANGE | MARKET SHARE | |
| 1 | Toyota | 148 122 units | +15.1% | 24.8% |
| 2 | Suzuki | 71 560 units | +20.1% | 12.0% |
| 3 | VW Group | 63 667 units | -4.2% | 10.7% |
| 4 | Hyundai | 36 409 units | +18.4% | 6.1% |
| 5 | Ford | 34 628 units | +5.7% | 5.8% |
| 6 | GWM | 27 202 units | +43.7% | 4.6% |
| 7 | Isuzu | 26 134 units | +12.2% | 4.4% |
| 8 | Chery | 25 304 units | +26.7% | 4.2% |
| 9 | Kia | 18 517 units | +25.3% | 3.1% |
| 10 | Mahindra | 18 100 units | +40.7% | 3.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About South Africa’s Top 10 Automakers of 2025
Q: Which automaker dominated the South African market in 2025 and how did the top rankings change?
A: Toyota (including Lexus and Hino) remained South Africa’s top automaker for the 46th consecutive year, selling 148 122 units. The most significant shift in the top 3 was Suzuki securing 2nd place for the first time with record sales of 71 560 units, pushing the Volkswagen Group down to 3rd position.
Q: Which brands showed the strongest growth and made new entries into the top 10 list?
A: GWM (including Haval, Tank and Ora) posted the strongest growth in the top 10 with a 43.7% year-on-year surge, reclaiming its title as the top-selling Chinese brand in 6th place. Mahindra also made history by cracking the top 10 for the first time (10th), while Kia successfully returned to the list in 9th place.
Q: How did the overall South African new-vehicle market perform in 2025 compared to 2024?
A: The total new-vehicle market grew by 15.7% year-on-year, reaching 596 818 units. While 9 of the top 10 automakers increased their sales volumes, the Volkswagen Group was the only manufacturer in the top 10 to see a decline, with sales dropping 4.2% compared to the previous year.
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