South Africa's used car market holds strong in April

This represents an 8% year-on-year increase compared with the 28 675 units sold in April 2025. However, the figure marks a 6.6% month-on-month decline from March 2026's 33 164 sales, a softening largely attributed to three public holidays reducing the number of available trading days.

Toyota retained its position as the dominant brand in the used car market, with 5 148 units sold. Despite recording no year-on-year growth, the brand remains comfortably ahead of Volkswagen in second place with 4 037 units, and Ford in third with 3 061 cumulative sales.

Ford recorded month-on-month and year-on-year declines of 14% and 3% respectively, yet its Ranger bakkie remains South Africa's most popular used vehicle by a considerable margin, with 1 706 units sold in April. The Hilux followed in second position with 1 329 units, while the Volkswagen Polo held third place with 1 160 sales.

One of the most compelling stories of the month came from the budget hatchback segment. The Suzuki Swift recorded year-on-year growth of 66.1% with 789 units sold, while the Hyundai Grand i10 surged by 74.6% to 557 units. The Toyota Corolla Cross also impressed, posting a 47.7% year-on-year increase with 644 sales.

AutoTrader CEO George Mienie offered context to these shifting trends: "April's numbers show a market that is still healthy, but far more selective than it was a year ago. South Africans are not only looking at the purchase price anymore. They're looking at the full cost of ownership, from fuel and finance to maintenance and resale value.

“That explains why proven bakkies like the Ranger and Hilux continue to perform so well, while smaller, more efficient cars such as the Swift and Grand i10 are gaining serious momentum. Buyers are still spending, but they're spending with a sharper pencil," he says.

Fuel price pressures appear to be influencing buyer behaviour, with the Toyota Fortuner slipping two places to seventh position with just 598 sales, after previously holding a consistent fifth-place ranking. The average price of a used vehicle purchased through AutoTrader in April 2026 stood at R423 329, down from R431 879 in March but ahead of the R420 771 recorded in April 2025. The average mileage of sold vehicles also continued its downward trend, falling to 71 460 km from 74 739 km in April 2025.

Top 10 Sold Used Models in April 2026:

• · Source: AutoTrader South Africa, April 2026