According to a report by market intelligence firm Lightstone, almost half of the cars sold in South Africa in 2025 have some form of Indian connection. These cars were either from brands like Tata and Mahindra or were imported from India by global automakers. Indian OEMs are emerging as key players in the South African market. Data shows that the share of Indian brands in the passenger vehicle segment rose to nearly 50% in the first half of 2025. 49% of all passenger vehicles imported into South Africa in the first 5 months originated from India. Mahindra now dominates the pickup truck market thanks to strong demand for its Pikup range. As per reports, 84% of the Japanese-branded light vehicles sold in South Africa in 2024 were imported from India, while only 10% were manufactured in Japan. These included models like the Toyota Starlet, Starlet Cross, Vitz, and Urban Cruiser, which originated from Maruti Suzuki’s India operations. Chinese brands such as Haval and Chery are also making inroads into South Africa. Vehicles imported from China accounted for 11% of the total vehicle sales in 2024, while the share of Indian imports was 36%. Locally produced vehicles made up 37% of the total sales. Source:ET Auto
