Retail new vehicle sales continue to surge in South Africa despite global and regional conflicts, local floods and droughts.
“The March figure of 58 060 vehicles reflects a phenomenal 17.3% improvement over March 2025,” comments Brandon Cohen, Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA), after reviewing the data released by naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
“This is certainly far better than we had expected, given the growing cost-of-living pressures on consumers,” he adds. “In fact, it is the best March figure since 2007, which is truly remarkable.
Volumes were up by several thousand units compared to March 2025, and even a couple of thousand higher than February 2026. This is quite remarkable and suggests that strong demand in the entry-level market played a key role in supporting overall sales.
“We expected to see some hesitation from buyers, with a degree of caution creeping back into the market as people waited to see where fuel prices would settle. Admittedly, consumers were feeling more comfortable with the interest rate remaining unchanged and the news of government intervening to soften the blow of record fuel price increases for April.
“We also believe consumers may have been worried that vehicle prices may rise as the Middle East conflict impacts logistics, as well as the supply of raw materials and components to global manufacturers,” Brandon says.
Ryan Seele, a NADA National Executive Committee member, says he was both surprised and delighted by the strong sales performance.
“There were stock constraints at a few of the larger OEMs, as well as some closing out their quarterly sales at the end of March. However, this did not seem to inhibit sales in the lower end of the passenger car market, nor in the commercial vehicle segment,” he comments.
Retail dealer channels accounted for 88.7% of total vehicle sales, with 5.5% going to rental companies, 3.2% to government, and 2.6% to industry corporate fleets.
The passenger car market, at 39 370 units, was 18.2% higher than in March 2025, while light commercial vehicle sales of 15 557 units were 15.7% up on the corresponding month last year. There were also welcome improvements in the medium truck segment, up 14%, and in heavy trucks and buses, up 14.5%.
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I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
Young South African motorists are increasingly opting for more affordable and practical vehicles as the cost of living puts pressure on household budgets, while still maintaining comprehensive insurance cover.
The row over BMW’s Spider-Man promotion is not really about superheroes. It is about trust, control and the creeping feeling that modern cars are becoming digital platforms first and private possessions second.
With forecasts of snow, icy rain and stormy weather across the country, motorists are urged to drive carefully and adapt their driving style to suit the conditions.
