https://newsletter.en.creamermedia.com

SA women (slowly) catching up to men in vehicle ownership – Lightstone

8th August 2025

By: Irma Venter

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

Font size: - +

Research group Lightstone says women in South Africa are catching up to men in financed car purchases, while they already lead in homeownership – shifts which reflect their growing socio-economic independence.

Women now account for 39% of financed car purchases, up from 32% a decade earlier, while men’s share of financed vehicle purchases has dropped from 68% to 61% in the same period.

Lightstone also compiled a list of the top five brands and body shapes women select when they go car shopping.

Toyota remains the preferred brand for women car buyers, while previous favourite Volkswagen has moved to second spot.

Ford, which held top spot in 2017, has dropped to fourth, with Suzuki third, after only entering the top five in 2022.

After an absence of two years, Nissan has replaced Hyundai in the top five.

As with men, women have switched their body-shape preference to crossover/sports-utility vehicles, while hatchbacks have dropped to second spot.

The sedan/estate has now dropped below the double-cab pick-up.

Over the past decade, the majority of women have demonstrated a consistent preference for financing options with linked interest rates, adds Lightstone.

Women in Property
According to Lightstone, the proportion of homes owned by women as sole buyers – as opposed to men or mixed couple buyers – has increased from 30% in 2014 to 39% in 2025, while mixed couple ownership has declined from 39% to 30%.

The term ‘sole female buyers’ refers to women who are the sole registered owners of the property, regardless of their marital or relationship status.

As a result, properties owned solely by women or jointly by mixed couples account for 69% of all ownership, while properties owned solely by men remain static at 31%.

The proportion of sole women buyers increases with age.

At 30, 50% of buyers are women, with this reaching 73% at 74 years of age, with a preference for sectional title properties.

 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Latest News

Image of Subaru Southern Afirica MD Toshimitsu Tanaka
Subaru Southern Africa appoints new MD
Updated 2 hours 26 minutes ago By: Irma Venter

Showroom

Tractor & Grader Supplies

Tractor & Grader Supplies (TGS™): Your Trusted, Genuine Source for New Replacement Parts for Earthmoving, Construction and Mining Machinery

VISIT SHOWROOM 
The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

The SAIMM started as a learned society in 1894 after the invention of the cyanide process that saved the South African gold mining industry of the...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Magazine round up | 08 August 2025
Magazine round up | 08 August 2025
8th August 2025

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







301

sq:0.295 3.361s - 164pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now