By Malusi Msomi

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) retained its position as the country’s best-selling vehicle manufacturer in May 2026, recording 10,667 vehicle sales and securing a 20.9% share of the new vehicle market.

The result comes as South Africa’s overall new vehicle market continued its strong run, with industry sales reaching 51,071 units during May. According to naamsa, this represented a 12.8% increase compared to the same month last year and marked the 20th consecutive month of year-on-year growth.

Toyota continued to lead several key market segments during the month. Passenger vehicle sales reached 6,609 units, giving the brand a 17.9% share of that segment. In the light commercial vehicle market, Toyota sold 3,682 units, translating into a 32.7% market share. The company also recorded a 31.6% share of the medium commercial vehicle segment and a 21.0% share of the heavy commercial vehicle market.

Among Toyota’s passenger vehicles, the Corolla Cross remained one of the brand’s strongest performers with 1,210 units sold. It was followed by the Starlet with 992 units, the Urban Cruiser with 944 units, and the Vitz with 881 units. Toyota also recorded early sales of its recently launched Land Cruiser FJ and bZ4X models, which sold 127 and 33 units respectively during the month.

The Hilux once again led Toyota’s commercial vehicle performance, with 2,488 units sold. Other notable contributors included the Hiace, which recorded 518 sales, and the Land Cruiser Pick-up with 466 units.

Toyota also highlighted growing demand for its New Energy Vehicle (NEV) range, particularly the Corolla Cross and RAV4 hybrid models, as buyers continue to show increased interest in electrified vehicles.

In the premium segment, Lexus recorded 89 sales during May, with the NX leading the range on 27 units sold. The GX and LX followed with 26 and 16 units respectively.

Toyota’s commercial vehicle division also recorded growth, led by the Hino 500 with 137 sales, while Quantum Bus sales increased to 94 units during the month.

Beyond vehicle sales, Toyota’s parts division continued to perform steadily, distributing nearly two million parts locally and exporting 349,917 units to international markets.