While sales eased slightly month-on-month, the figures reflect a typical market reset rather than any slowdown. Bakkies and budget hatchbacks continued to shape buyer demand ahead of the year-end period.
AutoTrader reports that 33,705 vehicles changed hands in November, down from October’s record 36,042 units. This represents a 3.6% year-over-year (YoY) decline and a 6.5% month-over-month (MoM) decrease. Despite this moderation, November’s figures remain strong compared to historical averages.
Toyota maintained its lead in the used-car market, selling 5,741 units in November—down from 6,266 in October but up from 5,401 in November 2024. Four out of the top 10 best-selling vehicles were Toyota models.
Volkswagen followed with 4,776 units, and Ford ranked third with 3,466 sales. Hyundai and Suzuki held fourth and fifth places, with Hyundai showing a notable +47% YoY increase and Suzuki up +31%. The steepest YoY declines were seen at Nissan (-26%) and Mercedes-Benz (-13%).
The Ford Ranger continued to dominate as the best-selling model, with 1,951 units sold in November—a slight -6.6% YoY decrease. The Toyota Hilux posted a +2% YoY gain with 1,557 units. The Polo reclaimed third place in November with 1,482 units, followed by the Polo Vivo at 1,405. The Toyota Fortuner sold 725 units.
Other top-performing models included the Suzuki Swift (716), Toyota Corolla Cross (579), Isuzu D-Max (544), Toyota Starlet (520), and Hyundai i20 (494), many of which recorded strong YoY growth.
The cumulative value of used-car sales in November reached R13.83 billion, down from R16.11 billion in October but up 6.1% from November 2024. The average vehicle price was R410,620, slightly lower than October’s R447,046 but higher than last year’s R405,713. Average mileage for sold vehicles decreased to 72,311 km.
On a variant level, the Polo Vivo 1.4 remained the most popular, with 1,097 units sold, followed by the Polo 1.0 TSI (1,008), Hilux 2.8 GD-6 (672), Ranger XL (664), and Hilux 2.4 GD-6 (515).
“It’s easy to overreact to a single month’s adjustment, but November’s figures come after one of the strongest months on record,” said George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader. “The market is resetting ahead of the year-end slowdown, but consumer activity remains strong.
"Buyers are making informed choices, particularly for fuel-efficient models, and historically demand picks up again in January and February.”
