What the average South African is prepared to pay a month for a used car and the models they can afford

Prudent South African motorists will typically set a monthly budget for car repayments and purchase a vehicle they can afford.

The most used search parameter for monthly car repayments in South Africa is up to R8,000 a month. Bearing this in mind, which exact variants are available?

Looking at the most listed variants in the R8,000 monthly repayment bracket on AutoTrader from January 1 to April 30 2023, it’s apparent hatches and bakkies priced from R234,229 to R362,928 are especially plentiful. The most listed cars in this bracket are the VW Golf, the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Hilux.

The most listed hatch — by a mere smidgen — is the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which accounts for 24% of Golf listings. It is listed for an average price of R279,188, with an average mileage of 128,663km and with an average year of registration of 2013. The Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI is the second most listed Golf, with 23% of listings.

The most listed Ford Ranger — accounting for 37% of listings — is the Ford Ranger 2.2, which has an average price of R291,832, an average mileage of 123,709km and an average year of registration of 2017.

The most listed Hilux — with a whopping 65% of listings — is the 2.4GD-6, which can be found with an average price of R323,303, with an average mileage of 120,816km and an average registration year of 2019.

According to George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO, when South Africans buy a used car, they don’t always have the luxury of purchasing their dream vehicle.

“Instead, they have a budget with which to work. Hence, we offer a monthly repayment feature that allows consumers to search by what they can afford to pay each month. In this manner, they can choose a car that fits within their budget,” he explains. 

While cars priced at R8,000 per month and below lead the pack, the second most used monthly repayment bracket is up to R6,000, while the third is up to R4,000.