Three car brands dominate South Africa’s second-hand car market

Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ford remain the most popular second-hand car brands in South Africa, while hybrid vehicles are gaining in popularity.

New data from Lightstone Auto revealed that Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford account for half of financed used vehicle sales in 2025. 

This is based on insights drawn from Lightstone Auto’s transactional data, which reveal clear trends in consumer preferences regarding financing Used Light Vehicles, with these three brands emerging as the top choices among South African buyers so far this year.

This data further revealed that the most popular vehicle types are the Ford Ranger Double-Cab and the Volkswagen Polo Vivo, as both lead with a 6% share of financed sales.

This is followed closely by the Volkswagen Polo on 5%, with the Toyota Hilux Double-Cab and Suzuki Swift ranges rounding out the top five.

“Looking at how buyer preferences in the used vehicle space have changed over the last five years, four of the five have appeared in the top five used vehicle types consistently since 2020,” Lightstone Auto Data Analyst Andrew Hibbert said. 

“The remaining spots in the top 10, however, have rotated among ten other vehicle types over the same period.”

Another noticeable trend emerging in South Africa’s vehicle market is the rising popularity of Chinese-owned brands.

Lightstone’s data showed that brands like Chery and GWM are now among the 15 most popular brands in South Africa’s Used Light Vehicle market.

Combined Motor Holdings (CMH) recently reported that local automotive companies are under severe pressure due to the proliferation of Chinese and Indian vehicle imports.

CMH represents many leading motor vehicle brands in South Africa, including Ford, Jeep, Land Rover, Mahindra, Honda, Mazda, and Nissan.

In the company’s 2025 Integrated Annual Report, released on Tuesday, 29 April, CMH CEO Jebb McIntosh lamented South Africa’s difficult trading environment.

He said pricing pressures on local brands are intensified by the influx of low-priced foreign imports and the resulting decline in sales volumes of traditional, locally sourced brands. 

McIntosh specifically cited the unrestricted proliferation of Chinese and Indian vehicle imports as a significant challenge, saying it placed extreme pressure on local producers.

The graphs below, courtesy of Lightstone, show the Used Light Vehicle market share by brands and types in South Africa.

Hybrids on the rise

Lightstone’s data further showed that fuel-type preferences in South Africa’s Used Light Vehicle market have remained largely stable over the past five years, with a relatively constant split between petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.

However, the data is starting to point to the growing popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs), which are slowly making inroads among used vehicle buyers. 

The market share of these vehicles doubled in 2024, and so far in 2025, they account for 1% of all Used Light Vehicles being financed.

This comes as South Africa’s government is looking to profit from a global shift towards hybrid and EVs, particularly in the European market.

South Africa is well-positioned for this shift, as its vast mineral resources, particularly for Platinum Group Metals and copper, are in high demand for use in the manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicles.

To this end, the government released the Electric Vehicles White Paper in November 2023. This document outlines the country’s plans for transitioning its automotive market and productive capacity to EVs while achieving the objectives outlined in the South African Automotive Masterplan.

One of the initiatives the government introduced in February 2025 was the announcement that automakers would be allowed to claim a 150% tax deduction on investments in facilities to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

However, Bloomberg reported that Volkswagen and Isuzu have expressed scepticism about South Africa’s plans to develop electric and hydrogen-powered vehicle industries.

The local heads of both companies argued that Europe would not look to South Africa for battery electric vehicles, as there is enough capacity in Europe, and transport costs would be lower.

In addition, they argued that internal combustion engines and fuel-powered vehicles would remain the go-to for consumers in South Africa and the rest of Africa for decades to come.

Therefore, it would not make sense for these companies to shift their strategies to serve European markets while neglecting local consumer preferences.

However, other companies have a different take. For example, Stellantis South Africa’s managing director, Mike Whitfield, told Bloomberg that the company’s first South African factory, which is due to start up by the end of next year, may produce new energy vehicles in the future. 

The graph below, courtesy of Lightstone, shows the Used Light Vehicle market share by fuel type in South Africa.