South Africa’s motorcycle industry rebounded strongly in the second quarter of 2026, reversing a slow start to the year and putting the market on course for its strongest annual sales performance in more than a decade.According to the Association of Motorcycle Importers and Distributors (Amid), overall motorcycle sales rose 11% in the second quarter compared with the same period in 2025, after a 1% decline in the first quarter.The improvement was driven by growth across most market segments, with particularly strong demand for leisure motorcycles, youth bikes and agricultural utility vehicles.“The second quarter gained healthy momentum and recorded solid growth in most segments,” said Amid national director Arnold Olivier.Commercial motorcycle sales increased 7%, with petrol-powered motorcycles and scooters continuing to dominate the arena. Electric motorcycles, however, recorded a 22% decline, though Olivier cautioned the segment is still too small to draw meaningful conclusions.“There are only a few fleet players in this sub-segment, operating with relatively fresh fleets, so trends are difficult to predict at this stage,” he said.The market for utility quads and side-by-side vehicles, used mainly in the agricultural sector, grew 33%.Olivier said a concern for the commercial motorcycle market was the potential impact of government action against undocumented immigrants. The delivery industry employs large numbers of foreign riders because of a shortage of local workers, he said.The impact this may have on the commercial delivery sector and future sales can only be speculated on at this stage but cannot be ignored, he said.The leisure motorcycle segment delivered the strongest performance, with sales climbing 44% year-on-year.Youth motorcycles and quads grew 42%, a trend Olivier described as particularly encouraging because the category serves as an important entry point for future riders.Motorcycles with engine capacities below 500cc recorded a 43% increase, reflecting continued consumer demand for more affordable models.The premium segment, comprising motorcycles above 500cc, also posted healthy growth of 15%.Chinese manufacturers are beginning to gain traction in the premium market, accounting for just more than 10% of sales in what remains a predominantly luxury segment.“While the impact of competitively priced Chinese product is not yet as noticeable as in the automotive sector, it now forms slightly more than 10% of this essentially luxury segment and is expected to continue growing,” Olivier said.Off-road motorcycle sales increased 24%.The used motorcycle market also remained stable, with sales rising 2.2% compared with the corresponding period last year.Despite a sluggish domestic economy and geopolitical uncertainty, Olivier said the industry had demonstrated resilience.If the momentum continues, South Africa’s new motorcycle market could exceed 44,000 unit sales in 2026, making it the strongest year for the industry since 2012.Business Day