Most affordable cars in South Africa with good safety ratings

Safety first
Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 GL
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GA
Renault Kwid 1.0 Life
Suzuki Swift 1.2 GA
Suzuki DZire 1.2 GA
Suzuki Ignis 1.2 GL
Fiat 500 TwinAir Cult
Suzuki Baleno 1.5 GL
Toyota Starlet 1.5 Xi
Honda Amaze 1.2 Trend
Mahindra XUV300 1.2T W4

More than 12,000 road fatalities were recorded in South Africa in 2021, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

At least part of this high accident rate is attributed to the substantial number of cars on the road, which is currently sitting at nearly 12 million registered units.

As the fleet continues to grow, safety should be an important consideration for anyone in the market for a new vehicle.

Safety first

The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) has published a report on what it considers to be the safest entry-level cars in the country.

The report classifies an entry-level vehicle as one that costs less than R270,000, and this year 38 cars were included in the assessment.

“[The cars] are assessed for the safety features stated in written literature of the vehicles in available printed or online brochures,” it said.

Points are given for active safety features, such as anti-lock brakes (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC), as well as passive equipment including airbags.

Further points are also awarded to vehicles that have undergone an NCAP crash test, it added.

However, the report does not consider the structural integrity of the driver/passenger compartment.

The 38 vehicles are therefore categorized into the following three groups according to their perceived safety rating:

Poor safety – Score of under 20
Moderate safety – Score of between 20 and 50
Acceptable safety – Score of over 50

This year, only four vehicles were classified as poor, while another 23 made it into the moderate category.

This means there are currently 11 cars on the market in South Africa for less than R270,000 that have an “acceptable safety” rating of over 50, according to the AA, which you can find below.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.