P-Series up to 4th! SA’s best-selling bakkies in April 2026

In April 2026, the GWM P-Series grabbed 4th place on the list of South Africa’s best-selling bakkies, its highest ranking yet. Here are all the details…

Ford Ranger takes back 2nd place
Sales of Isuzu D-Max plummet 65.3%
P-Series grabs 4th ahead of Pik Up
Land Cruiser 79 climbs to 6th spot
Landtrek and Shark crack 3 figures

In April 2026, South Africa’s total new-vehicle market improved 13.0% year on year to 47 979 units, with the light-commercial vehicle (LCV) segment registering its 14th consecutive month of year-on-year growth, gaining 9.7% to end on 10 966 units. So, did anything change on the list of SA’s best- and worst-selling bakkies?

Well, before we dive into the figures, we should point out that though South Africa’s LCV space experienced a year-on-year increase in registrations, sales in this sector actually dropped 29.5% month on month (compared to the 15 557 units sold in March 2026, that is).

*The outgoing Hilux remained firmly on top in April.*

Right, let’s jump in. After breaching the 4 000-unit barrier in March, the Toyota Hilux settled for a total of 2 955 units in April, down 28.2% month on month. Still, the Prospecton-built stalwart was again easily Mzansi’s top-selling bakkie. For the record, the 9th-generation model looks likely to launch late in June.

After having to settle for 3rd position in March, the Ford Ranger – which recently underwent a line-up revision locally – grabbed back 2nd place in April. In the end, sales of the Silverton-made model (including the Thai-built Raptor) dropped 2.9% month on month to 2 013 units.

*The revised Ranger grabbed back 2nd place last month.*

That saw the Isuzu D-Max slip back to 3rd place in April 2026. Local registrations of the Struandale-built contender plummeted 65.3% month on month to 1 045 units. It’s worth keeping in mind Isuzu will very soon switch to the facelifted D-Max, which may have impacted local sales in April.

After posting its highest sales figure yet in March 2026, local registrations of the GWM P-Series (including both the P300 and P500) dropped 25.1% month on month to 588 units. Still, that figure was enough to see the Chinese contender reach a new high of 4th place, ranking as the market’s top-selling imported bakkie.

Interestingly, the Mahindra Pik Up – which has made 4th position very much its own since the demise of the Nissan NP200 – fell to an unfamiliar 5th place in April 2026, with local registrations of the KwaZulu-Natal-assembled bakkie tumbling 45.7% month on month to 563 units.

Meanwhile, the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (451 units, up 21.6% month on month) climbed 2 places to 6th, with the SA-built Volkswagen Amarok (399 units, down 14.4% month on month) and Nissan Navara (315 units, down 17.1% month on month) each falling a ranking, to 7th and 8th, respectively. With Chery SA taking over Nissan’s Rosslyn plant, local production of the Navara is due to end soon, after which the bakkie will be imported from Thailand.

As has been the case for some time now, a pair of Chinese models closed out the top 10. The JAC T-Series (270 units, up 1.5% month on month) held steady in 9th position, while the Foton Tunland (205 units, down 15.3% month on month) kept hold of 10th.

Bakkies outside the top 10 in April 2026

So, which bakkies didn’t rank in the top 10 in April 2026? Well, the Peugeot Landtrek (138 units) took 11th place, finishing ahead of both the BYD Shark 6 (108 units) and the Mahindra Bolero (72 units) last month.

Next came the Mitsubishi Triton on 41 units, followed by the freshly launched Kia Tasman with 31 units and the Changan Hunter with 24 units. The since-discontinued GWM Steed (2 units) ranked 17th, while the Jeep Gladiator took the final place, with just a single unit registered.