South African used car sales remain robust in February

Used car sales in South Africa have shown a positive trend early in 2025, according to the latest data from AutoTrader. February saw strong year-on-year (YoY) sales despite a slight month-on-month (MoM) decline, which can be attributed to fewer business days. 

While January typically benefits from various dealership incentives and discounts, February delivered solid results, with 28,885 used vehicles sold. This marks a 0.8% YoY increase and a 6.7% decrease compared to the previous month.

The Ford Ranger remains undefeated, maintaining its top position in the used car market. The top six best-selling vehicles have retained their rankings from last month, with some shifts occurring between the seventh and tenth spots. Compared to January 2025, the Nissan NP200 has moved up two places to seventh, while the Toyota Starlet now sits in ninth, one spot higher than last month. 

While the Mercedes-Benz C-Class remains in the top 10, more affordable vehicles are pushing the German sedan out. It finished in tenth place in February 2025 — down from eighth last month and sixth a year ago. The Isuzu D-Max has also shifted slightly, dropping from seventh to eighth. The Starlet’s strong performance is particularly notable, as just a year ago, it ranked only 17th among South Africa’s best-selling used cars.

The combined value of used vehicles sold in February 2025 mirrors the sales growth, with a YoY increase and a minor MoM decline. The accumulative value reached R12.02bn; +3.7% higher than February 2024 (R11.60bn) and -4.46% lower than January 2025 (R12.59bn). Interestingly, the average price of a used car in February 2025 was higher at R416,483, representing a R9,790 MoM increase and a notable R11,578 YoY increase. 

“The used car market continues to show its strength, with February’s results reinforcing steady demand despite it being a shorter month,” says AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.

“Year-on-year growth in sales points to sustained consumer confidence, while shifts in model rankings highlight evolving buyer preferences, with an increasing number looking at affordable, fuel-efficient hatchbacks. As we move into 2025, seeing how these trends shape the months ahead will be interesting.”

Toyota remains the most popular brand on the used car market, followed by Volkswagen and Ford in second and third place, respectively. With 5,099 used cars sold in February 2025, the Japanese brand has seen a +6% yearly increase and a -4% monthly decline. Volkswagen, which saw 4,004 used vehicle sales, saw minor YoY growth of +1% but a MoM decline of -9%. Ford recorded 3,076 used sales last month, with the biggest monthly decline of -12%. 

While all brands within the top 10 experienced a monthly decline — owing to February being a shorter month — it’s worth noting that Kia saw a significant decrease at -16%. Over a year, the Korean carmaker slipped -17% compared to February 2024. Comparatively, Suzuki (sixth) and Hyundai (fourth) have seen YoY growth of +20% and +10%, respectively. 

Regarding specific models, the Ranger retains its enviable position, with 1,725 examples sold in February 2025. The Hilux follows with 1,501 sales, while the Polo is in third place with 1,178 units sold. While all three models saw a year-over-year increase, the Ranger’s growth was most significant, at +10.3%, with the Hilux and Polo pegged at +1.8% and +1%, respectively.

Further down the table, the Starlet posted a +67.6% year-on-year (YoY) sales increase. The Polo Vivo (+19.6%) and Isuzu D-Max (+27.5%) have also shown strong growth. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the only luxury-brand vehicle on the list, saw a -19.6% year-on-year decline in February 2025 compared to the same month in 2024. This figure excludes sales of the high-performance Mercedes-AMG C-Class models. Notably, the Toyota Fortuner, the other premium model in the top rankings, also saw a YoY drop, with sales down -5.6%.

When it comes to the most popular used variants, the Polo Vivo 1.4 continues to lead the pack, with 883 units sold in February 2025. Following closely is the more premium Polo 1.0 TSI, with 719 sales. The Hilux 2.8 GD-6 (651), Ranger XL (537), and Hilux 2.4 GD-6 (512) complete the top five best-sellers for the month.