South African car sales reach 12-year high: These were the top 15 carmakers in July

Toyota grew its sales by 13.9% month-on-month. New Hilux shown.

South African new vehicle sales continued their strong run in July, with the market posting another solid month of double-digit growth.

According to figures released by Naamsa, 57,708 new vehicles were sold in July 2026, which is an 11.9% increase over the same month last year.

Passenger vehicle sales led the way, growing by 12.5% to 40,912 units, which is the highest number seen since September 2014. It was a strong month for rental industry sales, which accounted for 13.8% of the passenger market.

The light commercial and bakkie market grew by 10.6% versus July 2025 to reach 13,710 sales, while medium commercials (843 units) and heavy commercials (2,097 units) grew by 19.4% and 7.0% year-on-year, respectively.