LC79 back in top 5! SA's best-selling bakkies in January 2026

In January 2026, the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 returned to the top 5 on the list of South Africa’s best-selling bakkies, while the Amarok slipped 3 spots. Here are the details…

Podium unchanged in 2026’s opening month
Mahindra Pik Up reclaims 4th place in January
Land Cruiser 79 breaks back into the top 5

In January 2026, South Africa’s total new-vehicle market grew 7.5% year-on-year to 50 073 units. The light-commercial vehicle (LCV) segment registered its 10th consecutive month of year-on-year growth, improving 11.0% to 10 996 units. But what happened on the list of SA’s best- and worst-selling bakkies?

Well, the Toyota Hilux – which was easily Mzansi’s best-selling bakkie overall in 2025 – comfortably retained 1st place in the opening month of 2026. Still, with the 9th-gen version set to launch later in 2026, sales of the Prospecton-built stalwart dipped 16.9% month-on-month to 2 475 units (the Hilux’s lowest total since June 2024).

Toyota Hilux Legend 55 double-cab bakkie — *Though sales slipped nearly 17% in January, the Hilux was again SA’s top-selling bakkie.*

Local registrations of the Ford Ranger, meanwhile, fell 7.4% month on month to 2 071 units. The Silverton-built bakkie – which is in line for various updates (including under the bonnet) in the opening half of 2026 – retained the runner-up position in January. Therefore, the Isuzu D-Max again ranked 3rd, though sales of the Struandale-made model fell 14.1% month on month to 1 331 units (its lowest tally since April 2025).

After being forced down to an unfamiliar 5th place in the final month of 2025, the Mahindra Pik Up returned to its customary 4th position in January 2026. In the end, local sales of the KwaZulu-Natal-assembled workhorse surged 47.1% month on month (admittedly off a weaker-than-usual December) to 753 units.

*The Pik Up grabbed back 4th place in 2026’s opening month.*

Meanwhile, the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 reclaimed the title of South Africa’s most popular fully imported bakkie in January, with local sales increasing 18.9% month on month to 484 units. That performance furthermore saw the evergreen 70-Series bakkie return to the top 5 last month, a position it last held in July 2025.

With registrations dipping a marginal 0.9% compared to December 2025, the GWM P-Series – which includes both the P300 and the larger P500 – held strong in 6th place on 461 units, again ranking as the market’s top-selling Chinese bakkie.

After putting in a record performance in 2025’s final month, the locally made Volkswagen Amarok fell 3 places to 7th in January 2026, with sales dropping 46.3% month on month to 321 units. That’s the Ford-built bakkie’s lowest total since May 2025.

The Rosslyn-made Nissan Navara (312 units; down 2.2% month on month) again finished in 8th place. With local production set to wrap up by May 2026 as Chinese firm Chery takes over the Rosslyn factory in Gauteng, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming imported version of the Navara fares.

*The Navara (local production of which will end by May 2026) retained 8th last month.*

As was the case in December, the JAC T-Series (238 units; up 21.0% month on month) and Foton Tunland (205 units; up 30.6% month on month) ended January in 9th and 10th, respectively. While JAC reports only a combined T-Series figure to Naamsa, we have an unofficial breakdown of the range’s sales for January: 85 units of the T9, along with 85 examples of the T8 and 68 units of the T6.

Bakkies outside the top 10 in January 2026

Jeep Gladiator facelift — *Just a single example of the Gladiator was sold locally in January.*

So, which bakkies failed to make it into the top 10 in the first month of 2026? Well, the GWM Steed was the best of the rest in January, ending the month on 172 units (including 100 sales to the rental industry). Next came the Peugeot Landtrek, with 108 units of the Chinese-built model sold.

The Mahindra Bolero (85 units) followed, while the Mitsubishi Triton could muster only 27 registrations. The Changan Hunter (22 units) took 15th position and the Jeep Gladiator yet again closed out the table, with only a single unit registered last month.