South African used car sales ease in August as Suzuki holds onto annual growth

AutoTrader records softer South African used car sales in August as Suzuki holds onto annual growth

Used vehicle sales declined -4.1% month-on-month and -3.1% year-on-year in August 2026.

At a Glance – August 2026 Car Sales

Used Cars

• Sales: 33,346 (-4.1% MoM, -3.1% YoY)
• Average price: R418,649 (-3.4% MoM, +0.1% YoY)
• Top seller (overall): Ford Ranger (1,955 units)
• Top seller (passenger car): Volkswagen Polo Vivo (1,226 units)
• Trend: Sales softened after July’s rebound, although Suzuki and four of the 10 best-selling models remained ahead of their August 2025 volumes.

South Africa’s used car market lost some of July’s momentum in August 2026 with fewer vehicles changing hands and a lower average selling price. Suzuki was a notable exception to the broader annual decline, while the Ford Ranger remained the country’s most popular used vehicle, according to the latest AutoTrader sales data.

A total of 33,346 used vehicles were sold in August, down -4.1% month-on-month (MoM) from July’s 34,759 units. Sales were also -3.1% lower year-on-year (YoY) than the 34,402 vehicles recorded in August 2025.

Toyota retained first place among used car brands with 5,750 sales, down -5% MoM with barely any YoY change. Volkswagen followed with 4,287 units, a decline of -7% MoM and -10% YoY. Ford held third place with 3,460 sales, finishing only 20 units below July’s total, although volumes were -4% lower than a year earlier.

Suzuki maintained fourth place with 2,426 sales. While this was -1% below July, the brand recorded +8% YoY growth, making it the only manufacturer in the top 10 to improve on its August 2025 performance. Hyundai remained fifth with 2,117 units, down -9% MoM and -11% YoY.

BMW was the only top-10 brand to sell more used vehicles than in July. Its 1,937 sales were up 2% MoM, though volumes were still down 2% versus August last year. Mercedes-Benz and Nissan retained seventh and eighth place with 1,286 and 1,152 sales respectively, both recording monthly and annual declines. Renault moved ahead of Kia into ninth place with 1,013 units, despite a -9% MoM decrease. Kia’s sales fell -13% MoM to 982 units, while its -21% YoY decline was the largest among the leading 10 brands.

The Ford Ranger continued to set the pace at model level with 1,990 sales. The Toyota Hilux followed with 1,589 sales, leaving a gap of 401 units between the two bakkies. The Volkswagen Polo Vivo remained the best-selling used passenger car and third overall with 1,226 sales, with its more upmarket sibling, the Polo, following with 1,122 units.

“August was a softer month, but some of the most popular models are still selling in greater numbers than they were a year ago,” commented George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader. “The Swift and Corolla Cross both recorded annual growth, while Ranger sales were almost unchanged. Buyers also spent less on average than in July, although the average selling price remained close to where it was in August last year.”

The Suzuki Swift held fifth place with 874 sales, just nine fewer than in July and +7.5% more than in August 2025. At an average selling price of R205,810, it remained one of the more affordable models in the top 10. The Toyota Fortuner followed with 720 sales.

The Corolla Cross recorded the strongest annual growth among the leading models. Its 593 sales were up +10.6% YoY. It retained seventh place, with an average selling price of R374,746 compared with R383,439 a year earlier.

The Isuzu D-Max climbed from tenth to eighth with 556 sales, despite a YoY decline of -1.9%. The Hyundai Grand i10 remained ninth with 532 units, up +0.6% YoY. Toyota’s Starlet slipped from eighth to tenth as sales fell, although it remained +1.2% ahead of August last year. Together with the Swift and Corolla Cross, the Grand i10 and Starlet were the only top-10 models to record annual growth.

Among individual derivatives, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4 led with 911 sales, followed by the Polo 1.0 TSI with 722 units and the Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 with 663. The Ford Ranger XL took fourth place with 623 sales, ahead of the Hilux 2.4 GD-6 with 572 units.

The average selling price fell to R418,649 in August from R433,552 in July, a decrease of -3.4%. Compared with August 2025’s R418,105, however, the average was virtually unchanged, increasing by just +0.1%.

Vehicles sold during the month had an average mileage of 71,149 km, slightly higher than July’s 70,483 km but below the 72,785 km recorded a year earlier. The average year model remained 2021, compared with 2020 in August 2025.

Top 10 Sold Used Models in August 2026

Ranked by most soldModelSold Count Price (R) Average Mileage (km) AverageRegistration year Average

Source: AutoTrader Used Car Sales Data: 1 – 31 August 2026

Buying a Quality Used or Pre-Owned Car/Vehicle and Safety on the Road – Verify and Validate the Credentials of whoever wishes to sell you the Car!! https://t.co/5SUMW2Fq7G #ArriveAlive #BuyingCars #UsedCars pic.twitter.com/L1zbrjyhjo

– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) September 17, 2026