By Malusi Msomi

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) closed September 2025 on a high note, recording 14,146 new vehicle sales and securing a solid 26% share of the market. This marks the company’s best monthly result since March 2022, when it last passed the 14,000 mark.

According to the Automotive Business Council (naamsa), South Africa’s overall new vehicle market also had a strong showing, reaching 54,700 units for the month — the highest since September 2015. The industry grew by more than 10,000 units compared to the same period last year, driven by steady demand across most segments.

Toyota continued to lead across passenger, light commercial, and medium commercial vehicle categories. The Hilux maintained its position as South Africa’s top-selling vehicle with 3,639 units. In the passenger car range, the Corolla Cross followed closely with 1,891 units, while the Starlet (1,626), Vitz (1,446) and Urban Cruiser (1,191) all delivered solid performances.

The SUV line-up also made its mark, with the Fortuner selling 842 units, the Land Cruiser Prado 276, and the Land Cruiser 300 adding 134. Hino trucks contributed 229 sales to the commercial segment, while Lexus added 86 units, led by the GX, RX and NX models.

September was also Toyota’s best fleet sales month of the year, with 4,233 vehicles delivered to business customers, representing a 34% increase from 2024. In addition, TSAM’s Parts Warehouse distributed nearly two million parts locally and exported a further 400,000 units.

KINTO South Africa, Toyota’s mobility solutions business, reached an important milestone with more than 5,500 vehicles now in operation nationwide.

Reflecting on the results, Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM, said the month’s success reflects the collective effort of everyone involved in the business. “September sales have once again highlighted just how remarkable the Toyota, Hino and Lexus brands are. We are sincerely grateful to our dealers, sales teams, and everyone at our Durban manufacturing plant for their outstanding contribution,” he said.

Theron added that while the market remains highly competitive, Toyota is proud that so many South Africans continue to trust its brands. “The local automotive market is more competitive than ever, and customers are spoilt for choice. We are proud that, despite this, Toyota, Lexus and Hino remain the preferred choice for so many.”