South Africa’s used-car market continues to grow at a steady pace as the cost of new vehicles keeps rising at an alarming rate.
According to new data from AutoTrader, one of the country’s largest used-vehicle trading platforms, the number of models listed on its site has grown by approximately 10% compared to what it was three years ago, going from 573,083 listings in the first half of 2020 to 652,198 listings during the same period this year.
Also noteworthy is the fact that 105 different brands could be found on the site in 2020, but this has since grown to 116 distinct names in 2023 – some of which have seen a dramatic increase in their listings during the examined period.
This has made it far easier for keen motorists to get their hands on a set of wheels that may otherwise have been not as widely available in the current market.
Car brands to look out for
The buying and selling platform showed that Chery, Proton, Lotus, Mercedes-Maybach, and Haval had by far the largest uptick in listings between 2020 and 2023.
Chery took first place in this regard, with an enormous 997% increase in AutoTrader ads over the last two years, though Proton was not far behind in second place with an 875% jump in listings.
The answer as to why this is the case is rather simple, these were both brands that re-entered the country after an extended leave of absence within the local market.
Chinese carmaker Chery first appeared in South Africa in 2007 but relaunched its brand here in August 2021, while Malaysian manufacturer Proton pulled out in 2012 with sales recommencing in September 2022.
“The increase of brands trading in South Africa is partially due to stronger ties with China. We’ve seen brands like Chery make a triumphant return,” said AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.
Beyond these two frontrunners, the British nameplate Lotus, famous for its mantra of lightweight sports cars, experienced a 620% increase in online postings, while Mercedes-Maybach – the ultra-exclusive and luxurious sub-division of the already high-end German car firm – had a 369% boost in listings since the pandemic.
Haval was the final producer to make it into the top five with a 176% increase in posts on the trading site, again highlighting the rapid increase in Chinese-made vehicles in South Africa’s car network.
The state of the market
As far as legacy brands are concerned, Volkswagen had the most vehicles listed on AutoTrader in 2020, accounting for 13.8% of the market.
This was closely followed by Toyota with 12.2% of all postings, and Ford with another 10.92%.
Things have only changed slightly as of 2023, with Toyota now headlining sales with 15.3% of the market while VW holds second and third place at 12.98% and 10.60%, respectively.
Keyword: 5 car brands that have become a lot easier to get on South Africa’s used-car market