SOUTH AFRICA’S new vehicle market sustained strong momentum in August 2026, with aggregate sales increasing by 11,4% year-on-year to 57,898 units.
This is according to information released by naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
Naamsa reported that vehicle exports declined by 11,9% to 35,091 units, reinforcing the need to strengthen industrial competitiveness and translate improving domestic demand into local production, localisation, investment and employment.
New Energy Vehicle [NEV] adoption is also accelerating.
In the first seven months of 2026, naamsa said 16,289 NEVs were sold, already equal to 97,5% of total 2025 NEV sales and above the 15,596 units recorded in 2024.
The year-to-date mix comprises 8,078 hybrids, 5,851 plug-in hybrids and 2,360 battery electric vehicles, showing that consumers are adopting multiple electrified technology pathways.
Overall, out of the total reported industry sales of 57,898 vehicles, an estimated 47,364 units, or 81,8%, represented dealer sales, an estimated 13,4% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 2,4% to government sales, and 2,4% to industry corporate fleets.
The August 2026 new passenger car market reached 41,216 units, reflecting an increase of 4,269 units, or 11,6%, compared to the 36,947 new cars sold in August 2025.
Car rental sales accounted for 17,2% of new passenger vehicles sold during the month. Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles (bakkies and mini-buses) reached 13,727 units during August 2026, recording an increase of 1,358 units, or 11,0%, compared to the 12,369 units sold in August 2025.
Sales in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segments reflected positive structural dynamics. Medium commercial vehicles reached 805 units in August 2026, showing a gain of 113 units, or 16,3%, compared to the 692 units sold in August 2025; while heavy trucks and buses at 2,150 units in August 2026 reflected a gain of 198 units, or 10,1%, compared to the 1,952 units sold in August 2025.
Vehicle export sales reached 35,091 units, a downward shift of 4,742 units, or 11,9%, compared to the 39,833 units exported in the corresponding month last year.
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