The South African bakkie market continued its positive momentum in July, with the light commercial segment growing by 32.6% versus the same month in 2022.
The overall vehicle market grew by 1.3% year-on-year, according to figures released by Naamsa, with passenger vehicle sales having fallen by 9.7%.
The “booming” bakkie sales picture is admittedly distorted by the Hilux shortage last year - only 1,012 were sold in July 2022. However there is certainly some strong momentum in the bakkie market following the release of new models like the Ford Ranger late last year.
While the Toyota Hilux still ruled the roost in July its figures were down by 21% versus June, dropping from 3,792 units to 2,982, while the Ford Ranger managed a consistent second place at 2,089, which was just 10 units shy of the previous month.
The Isuzu D-Max took the final podium spot with 1,542 sales, ahead of the Nissan NP200 (1,041) and Mahindra Scorpio (662).
The GWM P-Series made a strong showing in the mid-field battle, with its 642 sales, putting it far ahead of the Nissan Navara (375). The Volkswagen Amarok managed ninth position overall with 250 examples finding homes.
Bakkie Sales Ranking: July 2023
- 1. Toyota Hilux - 2,982
- 2. Ford Ranger - 2,089
- 3. Isuzu D-Max - 1,542
- 4. Nissan NP200 - 1,041
- 5. Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up - 662
- 6. GWM P-Series - 642
- 7. Nissan Navara - 375
- 8. Toyota Land Cruiser PU - 312
- 9. Volkswagen Amarok - 250
- 10. Hyundai H100 Bakkie - 187
- 11. GWM Steed - 143
- 12. Kia K2700 - 98
- 13. Suzuki Super Carry - 93
- 14. Mitsubishi Triton - 74
- 15. JAC T-Series - 42
- 16. Mahindra Bolero - 38
- 17. Kia K2500 - 33
- 18. JAC X-Series - 15
- 19. Volkswagen Transporter PU - 15
- 20. Jeep Gladiator - 10
- 21. Mazda BT-50 - 7
- 22. Peugeot Landtrek - 6
At the lower end of the bakkie sales scale, the Mitsubishi Triton managed a consistent 74 unit sales, while double cab rivals like the Mazda BT-50 and Peugeot Landtrek struggled considerably with respective volumes of just seven and six units.
If we look at overall brand performance, unsurprisingly Toyota tops the charts with 4,783 sales, which also includes the Hi-Ace taxi. Ford was second with 2,110 sales, followed by Isuzu (1,542), Nissan (1,416) and GWM (785).
On the export front, it was a close tussle with the Ford Ranger edging out the Toyota Hilux with 7,686 export sales versus 7,273. The Isuzu D-Max was a distant third with 641 exports, followed by the Nissan Navara (404).
Brandon Cohen, Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) feels that the strong light commercial vehicle demand is a positive sign for the economy.
“The fact that total vehicle sales are still showing growth is good news for the local motor industry and the economy in general, but what makes this performance in July special is that strong demand in most segments of the commercial vehicle market is the reason for the growth,” Cohen said.
“This indicates growing confidence in the economy by the business world, as most commercial vehicles are bought by businesses.”
On that note, medium commercial vehicle sales were down by 11.6% year-on-year in July, but the heavy trucks and buses put on a stellar performance with 31.6% growth over the same month last year.