Used car sales resilient, with only a slight decline in April

After a strong showing in March, South Africa’s used car market held its ground in April with only a slight dip in sales.

Year-on-year (YoY) and month-on-month (MoM) figures were down marginally, but buyer interest remained solid — particularly across a broad spread of vehicles, from no-nonsense bakkies and budget hatchbacks to more upmarket sedans.

AutoTrader’s latest data shows 28,675 used cars changed hands during April 2025 — a YoY drop of just -0.2% and a MoM decline of -4.1%. With a string of public holidays scattered across the month it’s likely that many dealerships had fewer trading days. The lead-up to long weekends and school holidays can also see buyers delaying major purchases such as vehicles until the next month.

The Ford Ranger continues to reign supreme as the best-selling used vehicle in the country. The top five spots held steady compared with March, but things got a bit more interesting lower down the list. The Toyota Starlet made a notable leap, climbing from ninth to sixth and nudging the Suzuki Swift down a notch.

Luxury still has its place, though: the Mercedes-Benz C-Class — the only premium model in the top 10 — came in eighth, a sign that the Three-Pointed Star hasn’t lost its shine. The Nissan NP200, meanwhile, dropped out of the top ranks, making room for the Toyota Corolla Cross at ninth. Rounding out the top 10 is another bakkie, the Isuzu D-Max.

Looking at YoY performance, the C-Class and D-Max saw the steepest declines, down -9.5% and -10.4%, respectively. But the momentum is clearly with smaller, fuel-efficient cars. The Starlet led the charge with a 55.4% jump in YoY sales, while the Corolla Cross posted a healthy 42.5% increase. The Polo Vivo — April’s top-selling used passenger car — rose by 23.6%, even as its pricier sibling the Polo slipped by -4.5%. The Swift also recorded a minor drop of -1.5%.

In total, the value of used cars sold in April reached R12.06bn, up 3% from April 2024’s R11.71bn. That’s despite fewer cars being sold. Compared with March, however, the market dipped by -3.38%. The average price of a used vehicle nudged upward to R420,771 — that’s R3,083 more than in March and R12,922 more than a year ago.

“The April used car market data shows steady demand with some fluctuations compared with last year April and March 2025,” said AutoTrader CEO George Mienie. 

“While the Ford Ranger continues its dominance, the overall sales performance shows a growing preference for practical, cost-effective vehicles such as the Toyota Starlet and Polo Vivo.”

“Despite the slight dip in sales, the market remains resilient with consumers prioritising long-term value and fuel efficiency.” 

“This trend speaks to the ongoing strength of the used car arena as consumers seek reliable, well-priced options in a changing economic landscape.”

While the Ranger topped the model chart, Toyota led the pack at brand level, shifting 5,150 units in April. Volkswagen followed with 4,034, while Ford came in third with 3,151. Interestingly, the Ranger was Ford’s only representative in the top 10, whereas Toyota claimed four spots — more than any other brand.

All three of the leading brands posted YoY growth, but also recorded MoM declines. Toyota was up 4% YoY and down 1% MoM. Volkswagen had the smallest YoY increase (+3%) but the biggest MoM fall (-6%). Ford enjoyed the strongest YoY growth (+7%) but also saw a 2% MoM drop. Among the top 10, only Kia bucked the trend with a +6% MoM rise while Suzuki held steady. Suzuki also had the biggest YoY surge, growing by 15%.

In raw numbers, the Ford Ranger led April’s used car sales with 1,724 units. It was followed by the Toyota Hilux (1,435 units) and the Polo Vivo (1,159 units). At a variant level, the Polo Vivo 1.4 remained the country’s best-selling used model, clocking in 923 sales. Its turbocharged sibling the Polo 1.0 TSI came in second with 707 units. Rounding out the list were the Hilux 2.8 GD-6 (634), the Ranger XL (539) and the Hilux 2.4 GD-6.