Johannesburg – Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM)’s new vehicle sales performance for August displayed an impressive year-to-date record of 13 276 units. The sales record aligns with the increased overall industry market share of 25.6%. TSAM’s upward trend of sales is consistent with naamsa’s monthly sales report.
According to naamsa’s latest new vehicle sales report, the automotive sector’s August performance “maintained upward momentum domestically to its highest level since October 2019”. Aggregate new vehicle sales for August saw an 18.7% increase to 51 880 units, in comparison to 43 692 units sold in August 2024. A staggering 83.3% of the overall sales represented dealer sales, a reflection of the strength of the dealer network. Additionally, naamsa reported that the new passenger car market also grew to its peak since September 2015, with 36 914 units sold in comparison to the 30 128 new cars sold in August 2024.
Commenting on the August sales performance, Leon Theron, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors said, “It is fascinating to see new vehicle sales soaring to pre-covid levels. This gives us confidence about the rebound we’ve been anticipating for years now. With regards to Toyota South Africa Motor’s performance, we are pleased with the increase of sales and market share of 25.6%. The favourable conditions and the availability of a broad scope of mobility offerings helped us achieve these milestones. We are grateful to our employees, dealer network and various stakeholders within the value-chain who help us achieve our goals. None of this would be possible without them.”
Brand Performance Highlights
Similar to industry performance, Toyota’s passenger car segment maintained a fair share of the market with 8 401 new vehicles sold in August. With 2 743 units shifted, the Corolla Cross sales peaked strongly in comparison to July sales (1 949 units). The Corolla Cross is the best-selling passenger car, whilst the Toyota Starlet (1 322 units) trails behind it at number seven. Also displaying impressive performance were the Toyota Vitz (885 units), Toyota Rumion (772 units), and the Prado (270 units). Lexus’ performance remained consistent with over 80 units sold. Signalling a growing demand for luxury SUVs, the Lexus GX was the strongest contender, moving 28 units.
Once again, the Toyota Hilux led the sales charge as the best-seller in the Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) segment with increased sales of 3 325 units and a 28.4% market share. This success follows the recent launch of the Hilux Legend 55 to the South African market – an iconic celebration of the Hilux’s legendary toughness, reliability and unstoppable performance. In addition to the Hilux performance, the Hiace (577 units), and the Quantum Van (65 units) also marked increased sales. Despite slight drops in sales, the Land Cruiser 79 Pick-Up (446 units) and the Land Cruiser Prado (270 units) deserve notable mentions considering the current market.
Within the Medium and Heavy Commercial (MHCV) segment, the Quantum Bus increased sales to 102 units whilst the Hino 500 and 700 straddled along with 126 units sold altogether.
Fleet customer confidence remained high, with 2 433 companies choosing Toyota to power their business operations. The Corolla Cross, Rumion and Hilux Single Cab each recorded their best month for business sales in August 2025. “We extend our sincere appreciation to our Fleet customers and Dealer partners for their unwavering trust and support,” concluded Theron.
In terms of parts, the division moved just under 2 million pieces to the domestic market and recorded 364 782 pieces exported to international markets. Toyota vehicle exports recorded a slight increase to 4 770 units, in comparison to July 2025 (4264 units).
