In July 2026, sales of the Toyota Hilux reached a fresh high for the year, while the JAC T-Series climbed to 8th place on the list of South Africa’s best-selling bakkies…
- Hilux breaches the 4 000-unit barrier again
- Top 5 positions unchanged month on month
- Land Cruiser 79 grabs back 6th spot in July
- JAC’s T-Series range moves up to 8th place
- Navara sales slide to lowest level in years
- JMC Vigus sales reported for the first time
In July 2026, sales in South Africa’s total new-vehicle market increased 11.9% year on year to 57 708 units, with the light-commercial vehicle (LCV) segment posting its 17th straight month of year-on-year growth, improving 10.6% to 13 710 units. So, what happened on the list of SA’s best- and worst-selling bakkies?
Well, the podium positions were again unchanged last month. In the end, the Toyota Hilux – which welcomed select 9th-generation derivatives to the local Prospecton-built range in June 2026 – registered a 20.9% month-on-month surge in sales to reach a whopping 4 189 units. That’s the 2nd time this year the Hilux has breached the 4 000-unit mark, besting its effort of March 2026.
Local registrations of the Ford Ranger dipped 4.0% month on month to 2 063 units in July 2026, though that was (just) enough for the Blue Oval brand’s Silverton-made bakkie to retain the runner-up position. In contrast, the Struandale-produced Isuzu D-Max enjoyed a 14.2% month-on-month improvement to reach 1 969 units, keeping 3rd but ending just 94 units behind the Ranger.
The KwaZulu-Natal-assembled Mahindra Pik Up (down 2.9% month on month to 681 units) held steady in 4th position, while the Chinese-built GWM P-Series (down 5.1% month on month to 536 units) was again the highest-ranked fully imported bakkie in 5th, just as it was in June 2026.
Meanwhile, the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (465 units; up 0.6% month on month) climbed a ranking to 6th in July 2026, forcing the locally built Volkswagen Amarok (352 units; down 29.2% month on month) to 7th place. The JAC T-Series (including the T6, T8 and T9) reached 254 units to move up 2 rankings to 8th on the back of a 1.6% month-on-month increase in sales.
That saw the Nissan Navara – local production of which ended in May, with Chery having purchased Nissan’s Rosslyn facility – drop to 9th place, with local registrations falling 26.5% month on month to 216 units (its lowest tally in several years). Finally, the Foton Tunland returned to the top 10, despite local sales dipping 13.3% month on month to 209 units.
Bakkies outside the top 10 in July 2026
So, which bakkies ended up outside the top 10 in July 2026? Well, after ranking 9th in June 2026, the Peugeot Landtrek (165 units) slipped to 11th last month. The BYD Shark 6 (122 units) remained in 12th place, just ahead of the LDV T60 (118 units), which gained a spot to finish in 13th.
With importer Salvador Caetano SA now reporting sales figures, the JMC Vigus slotted into 14th position with 105 units. The Changan Hunter (57 units) remained in 15th place, while the Mahindra Bolero (45 units) fell 3 rankings to 16th.
The Mitsubishi Triton (34 units), Kia Tasman (27 units) and LDV Terron 9 (11 units) each slipped a spot to 17th, 18th and 19th respectively (technically thanks to the arrival of the Vigus on the charts), while the Tata Xenon – a model that has seemingly quietly returned to the local market – ranked 20th on 7 units. Finally, the Jeep Gladiator took 21st, with just a single example registered in July 2026.
Bakkie sales in South Africa for July 2026
1. Toyota Hilux – 4 189 units
2. Ford Ranger – 2 063 units
3. Isuzu D-Max – 1 969 units
4. Mahindra Pik Up – 681 units
5. GWM P-Series – 536 units
6. Toyota Land Cruiser 79 – 465 units
7. Volkswagen Amarok – 352 units
8. JAC T-Series – 254 units
9. Nissan Navara – 216 units
10. Foton Tunland – 209 units
11. Peugeot Landtrek – 165 units
12. BYD Shark 6 – 122 units
13. LDV T60 – 118 units
14. JMC Vigus – 105 units
15. Changan Hunter – 57 units
16. Mahindra Bolero – 45 units
17. Mitsubishi Triton – 34 units
18. Kia Tasman – 27 units
19. LDV Terron 9 – 11 units
20. Tata Xenon – 7 units
21. Jeep Gladiator – 1 unit
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