- 61 890 new vehicles sold in October.
- Up 0.4% on September’s 61 656.
- 10.4% higher than October 2025.
- Rental share rose to 16.5%.
- 554 081 sold in first ten months.
A total of 61 890 new vehicles were sold in South Africa in October, 234 more than September’s revised total of 61 656. The increase of 0.4% left the month 10.4% ahead of October 2025.
According to the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA), sales have held their September level, although results varied between vehicle categories and rental companies bought a larger share. “October’s sales are encouraging, but the small increase from September calls for a balanced reading of the results,” said Brandon Cohen, Chairperson of NADA. He added that customers are still making careful decisions about what they can afford.
Passenger car and bakkie sales in October
Passenger cars gained 762 units, or 1.7%, on September to reach 45 084, a figure 13.6% higher than a year earlier. Light commercial vehicles, including bakkies and minibuses, moved the other way, falling by 656 units, or 4.6%, month on month to 13 689, though still 2.2% above October 2025. Trucks and buses across the remaining categories added 3 117 sales, 128 more than in September.
Rental companies take a larger share
Dealerships accounted for an estimated 78.0% of October’s sales, down from 81.4% in September. Over the same period the rental share climbed from 13.8% to 16.5% of all sales, and rental buyers took 21.4% of passenger cars. Cohen linked these purchases to the approaching year-end travel period.
Interest rates, fuel and the 600 000 target
October was the first full month after September’s interest-rate increase, while higher fuel costs added further strain on households and businesses. Those fuel bills may push some buyers towards hybrid or electric vehicles. The latest naamsa figures show combined sales of these vehicles at 22 389 for the first nine months of 2026, against 16 703 for the whole of 2025.
Year-to-date volumes stand at 554 081, up 12.3% from 493 427 a year earlier. Reaching 600 000 for the year would require a further 45 919 sales across November and December. “The progress made this year is welcome, but continued growth will depend on what households and businesses can comfortably commit to vehicle ownership,” Cohen said.
Supplied by MotorPress (Ilana Salant, Media Contact, Meropa Communications)
This story is based on aggregated news, press release(s) or other sources and was prepared with the help of AI tools, which can make mistakes. Prices, specifications, general information and availability may change, so confirm the details with the manufacturer, other news sources or a dealer.
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