South Africa’s used car market remained robust in February, with 33,293 vehicles sold. While this marked a 3.4% decrease from January’s 34,452 units, it represented a 15.3% increase compared with February 2025, when 28,884 vehicles changed hands.
Toyota retained its position as the country’s most popular used vehicle brand, selling 5,513 units in February. Although slightly lower than January’s 5,876 units, this figure surpassed the 5,099 units sold in the same month last year. Volkswagen followed in second place with 4,197 units, while Ford rounded out the top three with 3,340 sales.
In terms of specific models, the Ford Ranger continued to dominate the market, with 1,913 units sold—a 10.9% increase year-on-year. The Toyota Hilux claimed second place with 1,552 units, followed by the Volkswagen Polo Vivo at 1,192 units and the Volkswagen Polo at 1,151 units.
Lower-priced models also demonstrated significant growth. The Suzuki Swift saw sales surge 55.7% to 819 units, while the Hyundai Grand i10 posted the largest increase among the top models, rising 62.8% to 503 units. Other notable performers included the Isuzu D-Max and Toyota Corolla Cross, which recorded 25.2% and 34.6% year-on-year gains, respectively.
George Mienie, a market analyst, attributed the strong performance to the resilience of the used car sector despite economic pressures and fewer selling days in February. “Established favourites such as the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, and Polo Vivo remain dominant, but there is also strong growth from more affordable models,” he said.
The total value of used vehicles sold in February reached R13.03 billion, down from R14.32 billion in January but up from R12.02 billion during the same month last year. The average price of a used vehicle rose to R428,562, while average mileage declined to 69,654 km.
