Chinese onslaught pushes ‘Big Six’ market share below 50%
The top six-selling light-vehicle brands in South Africa in the year 2000 were Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan, Opel, Mazda and Ford.
From the turn of the century to 2010, these six brands held 60% to 70% of the market, says research firm Lightstone Auto.
Between 2010 and 2020, however, their combined market share began to drift to between 50% and 60%, before settling at around 50% from 2020 to 2023.
By 2024, these brands saw their market share slip to below 50%.
The reason for the decline lies largely in the continued onslaught of new brands and products from Asia, especially from countries such as India, Korea and, with rapidly increasing success, China.
“New brands such as [China’s] Chery, Omoda, Jetour, JAC and Beijing have steadily grown from just 0.5% of the market in the second quarter, 2022, to 10% in the two most recent quarters of 2025,” says Lightstone Auto data analyst Andrew Hibbert.
“These new entrants offer modern tech, competitive pricing and long warranties, helping them move from niche to mainstream.
“This is highlighted by the fact that Chery’s 2025 market share alone exceeds the combined share of Nissan, Mazda and Opel.”
In addition to the influx of new entrants, consumer preferences among the array of traditional brands have shifted, adds Hibbert.
While Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford remain in the top six, Suzuki, Isuzu and Renault have replaced the likes of Nissan, Opel, and Mazda. However, the combined market share of Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford – which have remained in the top six since 2000 – has held steady at between 40% and 50%.
These brands’ longevity is impressive, says Hibbert, especially when considering that at least one of the three – Ford – no longer competes in the high-volume and budget-friendly entry-level and sub-small segment offerings.
The combined market share of the brands that dropped out of the then top six – Nissan, Opel and Mazda – has fallen sharply, from 24% in 2000 to only 3% in 2025.
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