The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) notes that August continued the positive trend for new vehicle sales in South Africa, reflecting strong consumer demand and activity across the market.
“The good news has continued for the South African retail motor industry, with August delivering another bumper month for sales. It was, in fact, the largest sales month since September 2015, with 51,880 vehicles retailed – 18.7% higher than the corresponding month last year,” said Ryan Seele, executive member of the NADA NEC, commenting on the August sales figures released today by naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
“We saw noticeably higher traffic on dealer floors, with the majority of buyers being private individuals rather than business or fleet customers. Many are beginning to feel relief from the recent interest rate cuts. While not all enquiries and test drives converted into sales immediately, the level of consumer interest and intent to purchase in the near future is very encouraging for retail dealers.
“The market composition has shifted significantly over the years, and once again August showed strong activity in the more affordable segments,” added Seele.
Two locally produced vehicles in the affordable passenger car segment, the Toyota Corolla Cross and the VW Vivo, were the best-selling passenger cars for the month, each selling well over 2,000 units. This demonstrates that South African consumers continue to show strong demand for locally built vehicles, even amid the influx of lower-priced imports entering the market
The official results could have been even higher if more of the newer Chinese brands had reported sales figures. One addition this month was MG, which retailed 443 vehicles.
Sales of light commercial vehicles were also strong, with 12,326 units sold – a 15.1% improvement on August 2024.
By contrast, business confidence was weaker in the medium and heavy commercial segments. Medium sales fell by 3.9%, while heavy truck and bus sales declined by 8.8%.
“Heavy commercial vehicle sales remain under significant pressure, largely due to subdued mining activity, particularly in coal, where it is not viable to mine and transport new coal at current market rates. Many fleets have been mothballed, and some operators have even disposed of their fleets,” said Seele.
The used vehicle market also enjoyed another strong month. Cars in the sub-R300,000 bracket remain particularly attractive, offering buyers greater affordability compared with new vehicles, which continues to drive robust sales in this segment.
August also coincided with the Festival of Motoring, which drew strong crowds despite overlapping with Comicon. The event highlighted how quickly the local automotive landscape is shifting, with Asian brands, many of which were absent from South Africa only a few years ago, now making up a significant share of the vehicles on display. This reflects both the consumer’s appetite for affordability and the accelerating pace of market competition.
NADA is a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI).
naamsa releases August, 2025 new vehicle sales statshttps://t.co/c9A3tXjoKD#ArriveAlive #VehicleSales #naamsa @dealerfloor pic.twitter.com/XGxrFiVxhX
– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) September 1, 2025
