Despite ever-increasing economic pressures, South Africa’s largest tax bracket continues to soldier on as cars are still flowing in and out of showrooms, with certain brands seeing more success than others.
According to market research company KLA, BMW, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and VW are the five top vehicle brands for the middle class in South Africa, taking up a substantial portion of the overall market despite only representing a small portion of all the manufacturers on offer.
What’s popular
According to KLA, BMW is the number one choice for consumers with a 16% market share, while Volkswagen and Toyota are tied for second place at 12%. Mercedes-Benz has a 9% market hold, and Hyundai is right behind it at 8%.
Together, these five manufacturers account for 57% of the country’s biggest spending group – an impressive achievement given that there are at least 45 car brands currently operating on the tip of Africa.
Monthly sales data from Naamsa is also able to show exactly which models consumers are most interested in, though unfortunately BMW and Mercedes-Benz do not publish the sales numbers of their individual vehicles.
VW’s most popular option is of course the Polo Vivo and Polo which sold 2,280 and 1,235 units in October, respectively, though a few of their sought-after upmarket models include its T series of SUVs like the T-Cross (641 units), Taigo (114 units), T-Roc (148 units), and Tiguan (197 units), as well as the Golf (149 units).
Toyota’s headline-grabber is another unsurprising one with the Hilux bakkie at 3,110 units, which can now go all the way up to R1 million for the flagship Legend RS double cab.
Other mid-to-upmarket choices for Toyota are the Urban Cruiser (544 units), the Corolla Cross (2,100 units), the Rav4 (100 units), the Fortuner (629 units), and the Prado (84 units).
As for Hyundai, its top-seller may be the entry-level Grand i10 at 680 units, but other popular entries from the automaker include the i20 (635 units), Venue (309 units), and the Tucson (265 units).
KLA’s data also confirmed that 30% of South Africa’s middle class have bought a car within the last 12 months, and that another 50% plan to buy one in the next 12 months.
While they have more disposable income to work with than the majority of the country’s population, fuel efficiency, safety, and value-for-money are still the most important considerations for a mid-level earner, rather than luxury or performance, according to the researchers.
Keyword: 5 car brands South Africa’s middle class loves