India emerges as the biggest source of cars sold in South Africa

Close to half of South Africa’s passenger vehicles now come from India, outpacing China.

India has quietly become the single largest source of vehicles sold in South Africa, overtaking both China and traditional manufacturing hubs, according to recent data from Lightstone.

The shift is particularly evident in the performance of Indian automakers. Mahindra has emerged as a major player, driven largely by strong demand for its Pikup range.

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According to a report by PTI, the market intelligence firm’s findings show that close to half of all passenger vehicles sold in South Africa in 2025 have Indian origins. This includes vehicles built by Indian manufacturers as well as models produced in India for Japanese and Korean brands. When light commercial vehicles and pick-ups are excluded, India’s share of the passenger vehicle market rises even further.

What the sales numbers are really showing

The shift is particularly evident in the performance of Indian automakers. Mahindra has emerged as a major player, driven largely by strong demand for its Pikup range. The brand’s steady growth has placed it among the most visible contributors to South Africa’s changing sales mix.

Data from 2024 already pointed to this transition. Vehicles imported from India accounted for 36 per cent of total sales, only slightly behind the 37 per cent share held by locally manufactured vehicles. In contrast, Chinese imports made up just 11 per cent of the market, despite the growing presence of brands such as Haval and Chery on South African roads.

Japanese brands are increasingly sourcing from Indian plants

Lightstone’s figures also highlight how extensively Japanese brands now rely on Indian production. In 2024, 84 per cent of Japanese-branded light vehicles sold in South Africa were sourced from India, while only 10 per cent were imported directly from Japan. Much of this volume comes from facilities operated by Maruti Suzuki, which supplies several models for Toyota, including the Starlet, Starlet Cross, Vitz and Urban Cruiser.

Looking at 2025, the trend has strengthened further. Lightstone data covering the first five months of the year shows that 49 per cent of all passenger vehicles sold in South Africa were imported from India.

Andrew Hibbert, auto data analyst at Lightstone, said the rise of India as a sourcing hub reflects the growing number of manufacturers producing vehicles there, supported by lower labour and manufacturing costs.

While this shift has helped keep vehicle prices competitive for consumers, analysts say it raises concerns for South Africa’s domestic automotive industry. In 2009, locally built vehicles accounted for around half of all light vehicle sales, while imports from India represented just 5 per cent of the market.