Toyota South Africa Motors new vehicle sales display resilience in May
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) continued its market leadership as industry momentum continued in May. With a 20.9% market share and 10 667 new vehicles sold in May, Toyota retained a clear lead in a competitive market.
According to naamsa’s latest report, aggregate domestic new vehicle sales reached 51 071 units in May, a 12.8% year-on-year increase. This performance reflects the industry’s 20th consecutive month of year-on-year growth, supported by resilient consumer demand, improved vehicle affordability and a wide range of competitively priced product offerings.
Taking a closer look at industry performance for May, passenger vehicle sales continued to drive industry growth with 36 871 units. The Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment remained stable at 11 251 units, posting modest growth of 2.5% year-on-year. The Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicle (MHCV) segments reflected a positive shift with 718 and 2 231 units respectively.
Against this backdrop, Toyota’s performance displayed resilience and led the new vehicle sales charge in three segments: passenger, LCV and MCV. With 6 609 units sold, Toyota’s passenger vehicles held a 17.9% market share. The LCV segment shifted a total of 3 682 units, bolstering a 32.7% market share. MCV moved 227 units, a 31.6% market share whilst the HCV segment’s sustained performance yielded a 21.0% market share (126 units).
These results showcase that Toyota’s performance was underpinned by strong demand across its product offering. In parallel, the results reflect an encouraging shift towards New Energy Vehicles (NEVs). Notable mentions with increased NEV sales include the Corolla Cross and the RAV4.
“Toyota’s continued leadership in May reflects the resilience of our business, the strength of our product portfolio and the unwavering commitment of our nationwide dealer network. The strong performance of key nameplates such as Hilux, Corolla Cross and Starlet demonstrates Toyota’s ability to meet the diverse mobility needs of our customers. Additionally, the growing sales of our New Energy Vehicle portfolio, especially Hybrids supports and solidifies our multi-pathway approach. Despite several mounting headwinds, we are incredibly proud of the work that our teams and stakeholders executed in May. To our new customers, welcome to the Toyota family. To our current customers we appreciate your continued support,” said Leon Theron, Senior Vice President: Sales and Marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors.
Brand performance highlights
With 1 210 units sold, the Corolla Cross remained a top choice among customers who seek a balance of efficiency, practicality and hybrid technology. Anchoring segment performance is the Starlet (992 units), Urban Cruiser (944 units), Vitz (881 units), LC 300 (103 units) and the Land Cruiser Prado (323 units). Despite only reaching showrooms in the latter part of the month, the Land Cruiser FJ and bZ4X models racked up 127 and 33 units respectively. On the premium side, Lexus shifted 89 units with NX leading the pack with 27 vehicles sold. Tailing the NX is the GX and the LX with 26 and 16 units respectively.
Shifting gears to Toyota’s LCV performance, Hilux maintained its segment leadership with 2 488 vehicles sold. Notable mentions from the LCV segment include the Hiace (518 units) and the Land Cruiser Pick-up (466 units). This performance highlights continued demand for Toyota's commercial mobility solutions. The results reinforce Toyota's position as a trusted fleet partner for South African businesses, supported by a strong dealer network and a proven product range.
Commensurate with industry performance, Toyota’s commercial segment reflected growth in sales. The Hino 500 led the charge with 137 units. The Quantum Bus sales rebounded to 94 units in comparison to the 74 units sold in April 2025.
The parts division maintained their steady performance with almost two million pieces of domestic distribution and 349 917 pieces exported to international markets.
