South African car exports hit record high

Shipments in 2025 have climbed about 6%, with over 414,000 units delivered to 109 countries

South African vehicle exports reached a historic high in 2025, according to figures reported by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) on Tuesday. 

The data represents about a 6% increase from units exported in 2024.

“In 2025, vehicle exports increased to a record 414,268 units, up 5.9% compared to the 391,128 units exported in 2024,” the report stated.

According to the association, thousands of South African vehicles reached 109 global markets in 2025. 

High figures were achieved despite American tariffs, which reduced deliveries to the US from 25,554 units in 2024 to 6,530 units. The fall in the US direction, however, was offset by the increase in exports to Europe – from 295,762 units to 332,695 units over the same period. 

The European Union and UK accounted for over 80% of the country’s total vehicle exports.

“Despite heightened protectionism across several of South Africa’s key export markets, domestic vehicle exports continued to show resilience,” the association stated. 

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Vehicle exports rose by 1.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, driven by increased shipments to most major regions, although exports to Asia declined due to lower deliveries to Japan, the report stated.

The report did not provide data on specific vehicle brands produced in the country. However, South Africa hosts manufacturing plants operated by global automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, Nissan, and Isuzu, according to industry data.

South Africa has several specialized local car makers: Birkin Cars produces lightweight cars, Bailey Cars makes sports cars, and EVerione has launched electric vehicles.

In January, the country’s government announced plans to prepare a package of measures to further boost local vehicle production.

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Officials aim to double automotive jobs by 2035 and increase South Africa’s contribution to global vehicle production to 1%, with up to 60% of components produced locally. The automotive sector supports over 115,000 direct manufacturing jobs and more than 500,000 across the value chain, contributing about 5.3% of the country’s GDP, according to SAnews.