The small and affordable car brand selling more vehicles in South Africa than Volkswagen, Ford, and BMW

Suzuki, which focuses on small, affordable, and fuel-efficient cars, is selling more cars in South Africa than Volkswagen, Ford, and BMW.

Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation specialising in automobiles, motorcycles, outboard motors, and small internal combustion engines.

In South Africa, it is known for compact, fuel-efficient, and affordable vehicles, which are developed for developing markets.

Its range of affordable cars includes compact hatchbacks, crossovers, and light SUVs sold under the “small cars for a big future” banner.

With South African consumers under increasing pressure due to poor economic growth, Suzuki’s affordable cars have gained tremendous traction.

Naamsa’s October 2025 new vehicle sales figures revealed that Suzuki sold the second most new cars in South Africa after Toyota.

Naamsa (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa) is the country’s pre-eminent motoring industry body.

Suzuki sold 6,890 passenger and light commercial vehicles last month, topping its previous August high of 6,534 units by 356.

This also marks the fourth consecutive month the Japanese car brand has exceeded 6,000 vehicles.

Dealer sales accounted for 4,842 vehicles, while government, rental and fleet customers added 2,048.

This performance cemented Suzuki’s position as South Africa’s second-best-selling manufacturer, a rank it has held consistently since the beginning of the year.

Of the 16 vehicles Suzuki currently has on offer, it was the fourth-generation Swift hatchback that topped the sales chart with 2,377 units sold.

This was followed by the Fronx crossover SUV at 1,369, the Baleno hatchback at 596, the Ertiga MPV at 521 and the Dzire sedan contributing 409.

Toyota remains the top car brand in South Africa

Toyota remained the top-selling car brand in South Africa, recording 13,559 new vehicle sales in October 2025 and securing a market share of 24.2%.

Toyota maintained its leadership in the passenger car segment, leading sales with 8,432 new vehicles.

Standout performances include the Corolla Cross (1,615 units), Starlet (1,613 units), Urban Cruiser (1360 units), Starlet Cross (1011 units) and the Vitz (1200 units).

Within the luxury space, Lexus maintained its performance, shifting a total of 79 vehicles.

Notable Lexus mentions include the NX with 31 units, the LX with 11 units, and the UX with five units.

The Hilux once again led the LCV segment with 3,533 vehicles sold, capturing a market share of 27.9%.

Other strong performers include the Hiace Taxi (617 units), Land Cruiser 79 Pick-up (414 units), and the Land Cruiser Prado (139 units).

This performance comes as South Africa’s total new vehicle sales reached 55,956 units, reflecting a resilient automotive sector.

According to Naamsa, the passenger car segment surged to 39,610 units, its best performance since October 2014, marking a 14.8% year-on-year increase.

Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) recorded a year-on-year increase of 23.9% while the medium and heavy commercial vehicle (MHCV) segments delivered mixed results.

Medium commercial vehicles posted a 9.3% year-on-year increase, while the heavy trucks segment showed a 1.0% decline.

Despite a slight slowdown in year-on-year growth compared to September, the industry still posted a 16% increase over October 2024.

Improved consumer confidence, a stronger rand and a revived demand in export markets drove this increase.

Passenger Vehicle Sales in South Africa

Manufacturer	Car sales
Toyota	13,221
Suzuki	6,890
Volkswagen	6,147
Hyundai	2,997
Ford	2,924
GWM	2,805
Isuzu	2,409
Chery	2,210
Kia	1,808
Mahindra	1,551
Renault	1,446
Nissan	1,360
Omoda and Jaecoo	1,311
BMW	1,306
Stellantis	921
Jetour	856
MG	606
Mercedes-Benz	476
Foton	369
Mazda	243
Jac Motors	192
Jaguar Land Rover	216
BAIC	157
Mitsubishi	155
Honda	111
Porsche	100
Subaru	62