May 2024 wasn’t the best month for new or used car sales in South Africa, with both markets declining by over -10%.
According to used car sales data released by AutoTrader, the used car market – at 27,729 units in May 2024 – declined by -10.5% versus the 30,977 used cars sold in May 2023. On the other hand, naamsa | The Automotive Business Council revealed that the new passenger car market – at 24,367 in May 2024 – registered a decrease of 3,212 cars, or a decline of -11.7%, compared to the 27,579 new cars sold in May 2023.
The top three sellers in the used car and bakkie market remained unchanged versus April 2024. The top-selling used cars in May 2024 were the Volkswagen Polo (1,203 units), Volkswagen Polo Vivo (915) and Toyota Fortuner (684). The top-selling used bakkies in May 2024, once again, were the Ford Ranger (1,612 units), Toyota Hilux (1,271) and Nissan NP200 (433).
The top-selling new cars in May 2024 were the Volkswagen Polo Vivo (1,817 units), Toyota Corolla Cross (1,543) and Suzuki Swift (1,239). This is a slight change from April 2024, when the Swift was in second place, and the Corolla Cross was in third.
As per April 2024, the top-selling new bakkies in May 2024 were the Toyota Hilux (2,367 units), Ford Ranger (2,216) and the Isuzu D-Max (1,282).
According to George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO, Toyota had a good month. “While both the new and the used car markets declined last month, the Japanese vehicle producer continued to lead both the new and the used pack. Once again, Suzuki had a good month – especially in the used car market, where it moved from ninth to seventh position overall. The brand continues to impress industry observers,” he concludes.
The average price of new cars financed in May 2024 was R402,626 – higher than R385,892 in May 2023¹. The average price of used cars sold, according to AutoTrader, was R406,661 – slightly up on R405,034 in May 2023. In May last year, the average mileage of sold used cars was 77,917 km while the average year of registration was 2018. In May this year, that changed to 75,072 km and 2019 respectively.
The accumulated value of used cars sold in May 2024 – at R11.2 billion – also declined by -10.1% year on year and -3% month on month.
Top 10 Sold Used Models in May 2024
| Ranked by most sold | Model | Sold Count | Price (R) Average | Mileage (km) Average | Registration year Average |
| 1 | Ford Ranger | 1,612 | R461,005 | 81,589 | 5 years-old |
| 2 | Toyota Hilux | 1,271 | R446,751 | 106,774 | 6 years-old |
| 3 | Volkswagen Polo | 1,203 | R265,942 | 70,129 | 5 years-old |
| 4 | Volkswagen Polo Vivo | 915 | R195,025 | 56,707 | 4 years-old |
| 5 | Toyota Fortuner | 684 | R486,925 | 96,761 | 6 years-old |
| 6 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 560 | R399,570 | 101,704 | 8 years-old |
| 7 | Suzuki Swift | 485 | R189,595 | 37,476 | 3 years-old |
| 8 | BMW 3 Series | 479 | R380,968 | 103,815 | 8 years-old |
| 9 | Nissan NP200 | 433 | R177,333 | 78,996 | 5 years-old |
| 10 | Isuzu D-Max | 389 | R435,032 | 58,914 | 3 years-old |
Source: AutoTrader Used Car Sales Data: 1 May – 31 May 2024
Source: Wesbank Car Finance Data
