- Industry leadership strengthened with a 24.9% market share
- Corolla Cross, Starlet Cross, Starlet and Urban Cruiser continued to drive volumes
- Hilux retained its segment leadership
- Solid performances from Lexus, Hino and Toyota’s parts operations
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) recorded its strongest monthly sales performance in September 2026, selling 15 366 vehicles and increasing its market share to 24.9%. The result represents a significant year-on-year improvement from the 14 146 units sold in September 2025 and reflects strong demand across both passenger and commercial vehicle segments. The performance underscores the strength of Toyota’s diverse product portfolio, offering customers a wide range of mobility solutions across multiple market segments.
The achievement comes amid continued economic uncertainty and global market volatility. According to naamsa’s latest new vehicle sales report, South Africa’s automotive industry remained resilient in September, recording total domestic sales of 61 645 units, up 12.7% compared to September 2025.
Commenting on the results, Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors said, “Achieving our best-ever monthly sales performance is a remarkable milestone for Toyota South Africa Motors and a reflection of the trust customers continue to place in our brands. Growth across passenger, commercial and fleet segments demonstrates the value of offering products that meet a broad spectrum of mobility needs, while maintaining the quality, durability and reliability for which Toyota is known. We are grateful for the work that our employees and dealer network continue to deliver on.”
Brand Performance
Toyota’s passenger vehicle line-up delivered a particularly strong performance, led by the locally manufactured Corolla Cross, which recorded 1 964 sales during the month. The Starlet and Starlet Cross continued their impressive momentum, contributing 1 573 and 1 578 units respectively, while the Urban Cruiser added 1 328 units.
The Fortuner also enjoyed a strong resurgence, registering 908 sales and reinforcing its position among South Africa’s most popular SUVs. Additional gains were recorded by the Vitz (949 units) and RAV4 (290 units), both of which showed encouraging month-on-month improvements.
Within the premium segment, Lexus maintained steady performance with total sales of 98 vehicles. The NX remained the brand’s top performer with 32 units sold, followed by the GX (26 units) and LX (23 units). The RX contributed 10 sales, matching its July performance, while two customers took delivery of the all-electric RZ.
Toyota maintained its leadership position in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment, with Hilux contributing 3 769 sales during September. Supporting this performance were the Hiace (617 units) and Land Cruiser Pick-Up (419 units), both of which remain trusted choices among business and fleet customers.
In the people-mover category, the Coaster and Quantum Bus recorded sales of 70 and 91 units respectively, highlighting sustained demand for dependable passenger transport solutions. Growing demand from small business operators was further reflected in the Quantum Panel Van, which improved from 67 units in August to 76 units in September.
Toyota’s Hino division delivered a solid performance during September, recording combined sales of 406 units across the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segments. The Fleet division served 2 437 customers through the dealer network, reinforcing Toyota’s position as a trusted mobility partner supporting diverse operational and business needs.
Beyond vehicle sales, Toyota’s parts business continued to demonstrate its scale and strength, with domestic operations distributing just under two million parts pieces during the month, while export volumes reached 339 851 units.
“While economic conditions remain challenging, September’s performance reflects encouraging levels of consumer and business confidence. As we enter the final quarter of the year, we remain focused on delivering exceptional value to customers, supporting our dealer network and sustaining the momentum achieved across our brands,” concluded Theron.
