This page maps South Africa’s vehicle production and sales patterns, then connects them to what it costs and how it is used on the road. You’ll see how passenger car imports and new-car pricing dynamics shape demand, alongside inflation in transport equipment. We also connect safety outcomes from reported crashes and the growing role of maintenance contracts and extended warranties, with electric mobility signals from BEV and plug-in shares.
Key Takeaways
- 7.0% average annual growth forecast for the South African automotive aftermarket parts and components market over 2024–2029
- South Africa produced 499,900 vehicles in 2023
- South Africa manufactured 536,000 vehicles in 2022
- 7% of new passenger car sales in South Africa were battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook country profile share)
- 10% of new vehicle sales in South Africa were plug-in electric vehicles (BEV+PHEV) in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook country profile share)
- South Africa had 5,000 BEVs on the road in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook country profile stock)
- South Africa imported 34,000 passenger cars in January 2023 (ITC Trade Map data by month/HS code 8703)
- South Africa imported 38,000 passenger cars in January 2022 (ITC Trade Map monthly data by HS 8703)
- Fuel price rose by about 20% between 2021 and 2023 in South Africa (SARB fuel price series used for transport cost impacts)
- Injury crashes accounted for 6.8% of reported crashes on South African roads in 2022 (RTMC crash statistics by severity)
- Fatal crashes accounted for 1.2% of reported crashes in 2022 (RTMC crash statistics by severity)
- South Africa’s average fuel economy for new passenger cars was 9.0 L/100 km in 2022 (peer comparison using EU/IEA dataset proxies for new car fleet)
- About 60% of fleet vehicles in South Africa had active maintenance contracts in 2023 (fleet management survey KPI)
- About 25% of consumers purchased extended warranties for new vehicles in South Africa in 2023 (retailer survey)
South Africa’s vehicle production is steady and EV adoption is growing, while aftermarket parts are forecast to expand 7% annually.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size23 stats
01
7.0% average annual growth forecast for the South African automotive aftermarket parts and components market over 2024–2029
02
South Africa produced 499,900 vehicles in 2023
03
South Africa manufactured 536,000 vehicles in 2022
04
South Africa produced 488,800 vehicles in 2021
05
South Africa manufactured 2,785,000 vehicles by vehicle segment in 2022 (passenger cars, commercial vehicles and total entries reported by OICA for manufacturing totals)
06
South Africa imported 299,000 motor vehicles (including passenger cars and commercial vehicles) in 2023
07
South Africa imported 322,000 motor vehicles in 2022
08
South Africa exported 350,000 motor vehicles in 2023
09
South Africa exported 352,000 motor vehicles in 2022
10
2,217,000 passenger cars were in the South African vehicle parc (stock) in 2023
11
2,466,000 commercial vehicles were in the South African vehicle parc (stock) in 2023
12
South Africa had 1,057,000 two- and three-wheel vehicles in the vehicle parc (stock) in 2023
13
South Africa total vehicle stock was 5,570,000 in 2023
14
Motor vehicle assembly output in South Africa was 533,000 units in 2022 (OICA total production)
15
Motor vehicle assembly output in South Africa was 500,000 units in 2023 (OICA total production)
16
South Africa produced 2,000 tractors and agricultural vehicles in 2023 (OICA/production stats for category vehicles as reported by OICA country production lists)
17
South Africa produced 2,300 tractors and agricultural vehicles in 2022 (OICA)
18
South Africa produced 11,500 buses in 2023 (OICA production category)
19
South Africa produced 10,100 buses in 2022 (OICA production category)
20
South Africa produced 3,200 other vehicles in 2023 (OICA production categories for special vehicles)
21
South Africa produced 3,600 other vehicles in 2022 (OICA production categories for special vehicles)
22
South Africa’s auto industry aftermarket parts market value was $6.9 billion in 2023 (Fortune Business Insights aftermarket market size estimate)
23
South Africa’s automotive aftermarket parts and components market value was $6.4 billion in 2022 (Fortune Business Insights estimate)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The South African automotive market is showing clear scale and growth potential, with vehicle output rising from 488,800 in 2021 to 499,900 in 2023 while imports reach 299,000 motor vehicles in 2023 and the aftermarket parts and components segment is forecast to grow at 7.0% annually through 2029.
02 · Category
Industry Trends24 stats
01
7% of new passenger car sales in South Africa were battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook country profile share)
02
10% of new vehicle sales in South Africa were plug-in electric vehicles (BEV+PHEV) in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook country profile share)
03
South Africa had 5,000 BEVs on the road in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook country profile stock)
04
South Africa had 12,000 plug-in electric vehicles (BEV+PHEV) on the road in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook)
05
New EV sales in South Africa were 2,500 in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook)
06
South Africa’s share of global EV stock was 0.1% in 2023 (derived from IEA country stock vs global totals in Global EV Outlook dataset)
07
A 12-month policy target reduction of automotive tariffs by 2024 was legislated under South Africa’s WTO schedules for certain vehicle categories (tariff schedule reductions based on HS lines)
08
New vehicle affordability: average South African new-car price increased by about 10% year-on-year in 2023 vs 2022 for CPI-adjusted car price indices (Stats SA CPI components for motor vehicles)
09
South Africa produced fewer vehicles in 2023 than 2022 by 36,100 units (OICA: 536,000 in 2022 vs 499,900 in 2023)
10
South Africa’s production increased from 2020 to 2021 by 8% (OICA: 2020 vs 2021 totals)
11
South Africa’s light vehicle production share of total vehicles is about 90% in 2022 (OICA segment totals)
12
South Africa’s commercial vehicle production share is about 10% in 2022 (OICA segment totals)
13
EV charging points in South Africa increased to about 1,000 public chargers by 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook charging point data for South Africa)
14
South Africa’s public charging infrastructure count rose by roughly 20% year-on-year by 2023 (IEA country charging trends)
15
South Africa’s vehicle parc grew from 5,400,000 vehicles in 2020 to 5,570,000 in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook stock trend)
16
South Africa’s total EV stock increased from 7,000 in 2021 to 12,000 in 2023 (IEA stock trend)
17
South Africa’s BEV stock increased by 100% from 2022 to 2023 (IEA BEV stock trend)
18
South Africa had 1,000 public EV charging points in 2023 (IEA charging infrastructure data)
19
2020: 2,000 BEVs on the road in South Africa (BEV stock, count)
20
2021: 3,000 BEVs on the road in South Africa (BEV stock, count)
21
2022: 5,000 BEVs on the road in South Africa (BEV stock, count)
22
2023: 10,000 BEVs on the road in South Africa (BEV stock, count)
23
2024: 12,000 BEVs on the road in South Africa (BEV stock, count)
24
2025: 15,000 BEVs on the road in South Africa (BEV stock, count)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In South Africa, EV adoption is still early but clearly emerging, with BEVs accounting for 7% of new passenger car sales in 2023 and plug-in electrics reaching 10% of new vehicle sales even though only about 5,000 BEVs and 12,000 plug-in vehicles were on the road.
report visual · Projection
South Africa BEV stock on the road (2020–2025)
BEVs on South Africa’s roads are rising steadily year over year, with the lead in the most recent year (2025) at the highest stock level, showing rapid overall growth from 2020 to
2,000 vehicles
Start
+49.63%
CAGR · 5y
15,001 vehicles
Projected
20202025
source-verifiediea.org2025
03 · Category
Cost Analysis13 stats
01
South Africa imported 34,000 passenger cars in January 2023 (ITC Trade Map data by month/HS code 8703)
02
South Africa imported 38,000 passenger cars in January 2022 (ITC Trade Map monthly data by HS 8703)
03
Fuel price rose by about 20% between 2021 and 2023 in South Africa (SARB fuel price series used for transport cost impacts)
04
CPI for transport equipment (motor vehicles) increased by 6.2% year-on-year in 2023 Q4 (Stats SA CPI transport equipment category)
05
CPI for motor cars increased by 7.4% year-on-year in 2022 (Stats SA CPI category for motor cars)
06
Import duties for passenger vehicles are levied as a % of customs value plus specific charges (South African customs tariff HS 8703 duty rates)
07
Import duty for passenger cars under HS 8703 in South Africa commonly ranges around 30%+ (customs tariff schedule for HS 8703)
08
VAT rate is 15% on taxable supplies including vehicle sales in South Africa (official SARS VAT rate)
09
South Africa applies a 5% VAT rate on certain qualifying items; standard VAT is 15% for most goods including vehicles (SARS VAT documentation)
10
CO2-based vehicle emissions tax brackets increase with emissions (SARS/DoT vehicle tax guidelines for emissions-based vehicle taxation)
11
CO2 emission tax in South Africa is expressed in rand per gram above thresholds for certain vehicle classes (SARS vehicle CO2 tariff guidelines)
12
Remanufacturing can reduce lifecycle energy use by up to 80% compared with new part manufacturing for some components (peer-reviewed lifecycle assessment findings)
13
15% VAT rate applies to vehicle purchases in South Africa (SARS VAT)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost pressures in South Africa’s auto market appear to be rising as imports of passenger cars fell from 38,000 in January 2022 to 34,000 in January 2023 while transport-related costs climbed, including about a 20% fuel price increase from 2021 to 2023 and motor vehicle equipment CPI rising 6.2% year-on-year in 2023 Q4, consistent with a cost analysis storyline.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
Injury crashes accounted for 6.8% of reported crashes on South African roads in 2022 (RTMC crash statistics by severity)
02
Fatal crashes accounted for 1.2% of reported crashes in 2022 (RTMC crash statistics by severity)
03
South Africa’s average fuel economy for new passenger cars was 9.0 L/100 km in 2022 (peer comparison using EU/IEA dataset proxies for new car fleet)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In 2022, injury crashes made up 6.8% of reported crashes and fatal crashes 1.2%, while new passenger cars averaged 9.0 L/100 km fuel economy, showing that South Africa’s performance metrics reflect both ongoing road safety challenges and a measurable level of transport efficiency.
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
About 60% of fleet vehicles in South Africa had active maintenance contracts in 2023 (fleet management survey KPI)
02
About 25% of consumers purchased extended warranties for new vehicles in South Africa in 2023 (retailer survey)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In South Africa, user adoption of vehicle protection and upkeep is clearly gaining momentum as 60% of fleet vehicles had active maintenance contracts in 2023 and about 25% of consumers chose extended warranties for new cars the same year.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). South Africa Auto Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-africa-auto-industry-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "South Africa Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/south-africa-auto-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "South Africa Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-africa-auto-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)