The April 2026 vehicle sales figures recently reported by Naamsa – the automotive business council – showed that South Africa’s new vehicle market delivered its strongest April performance in more than a decade, defying mounting economic pressures as consumers continued to buy new vehicles despite concerns over fuel prices, inflation and global instability.
According to the latest figures, a total of 47 979 new vehicles were sold in April 2026 – the best April result since 2013.
“This is an amazing show of robustness by local automotive retailers in a month featuring a host of public and school holidays, together with the turmoil caused by the Middle East conflict hanging over the global economy,” said Brandon Cohen, National Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA).
Sales defy consumer pressures
Passenger vehicle sales reached 34,414 units, reflecting growth of 14.3% compared to April last year, while light commercial vehicles increased by 9.7%. Medium truck sales climbed by 10.5%, while the heavy truck and bus segment rose by 9.9%.
The performance comes despite growing pressure on consumers amid expectations of higher fuel prices and rising living costs.
Dealer networks continued to dominate the market, accounting for 91.1% of total sales volumes during the month. The rental industry contributed 5.1%, corporate fleets accounted for 2.2%, while government purchases made up 1.6%.
Cohen said many dealerships had to work harder to close deals during April, using shopping mall activations and holiday promotions to attract buyers.
“We also think there is a general feeling out there that new vehicle prices will increase significantly as the Middle East conflict continues to pressure vehicle and component manufacturers in terms of pricing,” he added.
Wesbank toasts ‘encouraging results’
Data from WesBank showed that 73,646 consumers applied for finance on new vehicles in April, down from 82,023 in March, while 118,480 applications were recorded for used vehicles, compared to 134,171 the previous month.
“This is an encouraging result, particularly as the market has not reached this level in April since 2013,” said Thanda Sithole, Senior Economist at WesBank.
“The growth was also broad-based, with passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and the heavier segments all posting gains. This suggests the recovery has some depth, although affordability remains a key constraint for many consumers.”
NADA National Vice Chairperson, Thembinkosi Pantsi, said many consumers appeared cautious despite submitting finance applications.
“It seemed that many potential buyers were testing the waters in terms of what they qualify for and then decided to delay the actual purchase,” said Pantsi.
He added that lower-priced vehicles, Asian brands, demo models and hybrids were attracting growing interest from buyers, while trusted traditional brands remained popular in the used vehicle market.
“The April result shows that the market still has momentum,” concluded Sithole. “The key question now is how durable that momentum will be as fuel, inflation and interest-rate pressures filter through household budgets and business confidence.”
- South Africa’s new vehicle market posted its strongest April sales since 2013, with 47,979 units sold despite economic pressures like inflation and fuel price concerns.
- Passenger vehicle sales grew by 14.3%, light commercial vehicles by 9.7%, medium trucks by 10.5%, and heavy trucks/buses by 9.9% compared to April last year.
- Dealerships led sales, accounting for 91.1% of volume, using promotions and mall activations to attract cautious buyers anticipating future price increases.
- WesBank reported 73,646 new vehicle finance applications in April (down from March), with broad-based growth suggesting recovery, though affordability remains a challenge.
- Consumers showed cautious buying behavior by exploring finance options but delaying purchases; interest grew in lower-priced, Asian, demo, hybrid, and trusted used vehicles.
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Dealer networks continued to dominate the market, accounting for 91.1% of total sales volumes during the month.
Cohen said many dealerships had to work harder to close deals during April, using shopping mall activations and holiday promotions to attract buyers.
“We also think there is a general feeling out there that new vehicle prices will increase significantly as the
Data from WesBank showed that 73,646 consumers applied for finance on new vehicles in April, down from 82,023 in March, while 118,480 applications were recorded for used vehicles, compared to 134,171 the previous month.
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NADA National Vice Chairperson,
“It seemed that many potential buyers were testing the waters in terms of what they qualify for and then decided to delay the actual purchase,” said Pantsi.
He added that lower-priced vehicles, Asian brands, demo models and hybrids were attracting growing interest from buyers, while trusted traditional brands remained popular in the used vehicle market.
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