South Africa’s used car market continued to show resilience in February 2026, with strong year-on-year growth despite a slight slowdown from January, according to the latest industry data.
Figures released by car trading platform AutoTrader, reveal that 33,293 used vehicles were sold in February. While this represented a 3.4% decline from the 34,452 units sold in January, it marked a significant 15.3% increase compared with February 2025, when 28,884 vehicles changed hands.
The performance suggests that consumer demand for pre-owned vehicles remains robust as many South Africans continue to seek more affordable mobility options.
Toyota remains SA’s most popular used vehicle brand
Japanese automaker Toyota maintained its position as the country’s most popular used vehicle brand, recording 5,513 sales in February. Although slightly lower than January’s 5,876 units, the figure still exceeded the 5,099 vehicles sold during the same period last year.
Volkswagen followed in second place with 4,197 used vehicle sales, while Ford Motor Company secured third place with 3,340 units.
Among other brands, BMW and Suzuki were the only two to record month-on-month growth, increasing sales by 6% and 3% respectively compared to January.
Suzuki and Hyundai record strongest growth
On a year-on-year basis, Suzuki recorded the strongest growth, with sales surging by 59%. Hyundai Motor Company followed with a 36% increase, while Kia Corporation and Renault posted gains of 24% and 21% respectively. Nissan was the only brand to record a decline, with sales falling 13% year-on-year.
The Ford Ranger retained its crown as South Africa’s best-selling used vehicle, with 1,913 units sold in February – a 10.9% increase compared with a year ago.
The Toyota Hilux followed with 1,552 units, while the Volkswagen Polo Vivo ranked third with 1,192 units. The Volkswagen Polo came in fourth with 1,151 units sold.
South Africans choose more affordable cars
More affordable models also made strong gains in the month. The Suzuki Swift recorded year-on-year growth of 55.7%, reaching 819 units, while the Hyundai Grand i10 posted the biggest increase of 62.8%, with 503 units sold.
AutoTrader CEO George Mienie said the February results highlight the continued resilience of the local used car market.
“February’s performance reinforces the strong momentum we’re seeing in South Africa’s used car market. Even with fewer selling days than January, the market delivered solid year-on-year growth,” he said.
Buyers seek reliability, affordability
He added that trusted names such as the Ranger, Hilux and Polo Vivo remain dominant, while value-driven models like the Swift and Grand i10 are increasingly attracting buyers seeking reliability and affordability.
The cumulative value of used cars sold in February reached R13.03-billion. The average price of a used vehicle rose to R428,562, while the average mileage declined slightly to 69,654 km – another sign that buyers continue to favour relatively newer pre-owned vehicles.
