50 percent of cars sold in South Africa are linked to India: report

Johannesburg: Half of the cars sold in South Africa by 2025 will have connections to India – they are manufactured by companies such as Mahindra and Tata, or the parts are made in India, according to a report by market research firm Lightstone.Sales figures over the past year show that Mahindra has played a leading role in South Africa, especially in the Pikup range, the report said.

Furthermore, 84 percent of all Japanese-brand light vehicles sold in South Africa in 2024 were imported from India, Lightstone said, adding that only 10 percent were actually built in Japan.

The growing supply of Chinese brands is usually seen as the biggest threat to local manufacturers, but according to Lightstone data, the vast majority of imported cars from South Africa actually come from India.The high visibility of vehicles from Chinese manufacturers such as Haval and Cherry on South African roads due to their popularity among buyers over the past three years gives the impression that they are leading the way in sales.

However, Chinese imports accounted for just 11 percent of car sales in 2024, while 36 percent of all cars sold in South Africa that year were imported from India, directly or indirectly by established Japanese and Korean brands. This was slightly lower than the 37 percent contribution from locally produced vehicles.

Excluding sales of Pikups and light commercial vehicles, India’s share grew to almost half of the South African market in the first half of 2025, Independent Online said on its website, citing Lightstone data. Lightstone figures for the first five months of 2025 showed that 49 percent of all passenger car sales were imported from India.

Most of these vehicles come from Maruti Suzuki operations in India. The company also supplies vehicles from the Japanese brand Toyota, such as the Starlet, Starlet Cross, Vitz and Urban Cruiser.

“The growth in car sales from India can be attributed to the large number of car manufacturers now producing cars in the country, taking advantage of the relatively cheap labor costs and overall production costs,” said Andrew Hibbert, Auto Data Analyst at Lightstone.

Analysts said the trend helps buyers get price relief, but it is a concern for the local auto industry.

They cited contrasting data from 2009, when about half of light vehicles sold in South Africa were produced locally. That year, only 5 percent of South African vehicles came from India.